(       JUi.    -  1951 
BIOGRAPHICAL    SKEsAlES  ,, 


FOUNDEll  AND  rillNCIP/VL  ALUMNI 


LOG    COLLEGE. 


TOCETnER   WITH    AN    ACCOUNT   OF   TUE    REVIVALS   OF   RELlGlOir 
UNDER     THEIR     MINISTRY. 


COLLECTED    AND    EDITED 
ARCHIBALD    ALEXANDER,  D.  D. 


riiiLADELrniA: 

rRESBYTERIAN   BOARD  OF   PUBLICATION, 

No.  26d  CILESTNUT  STKEET. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1851,  by 

A.    W.   Mitchell,  M.  D. 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Eastern  District 

of  Pennsylvania. 


Stereotyped  bySLOTE  &  Moonef,  rhiladelpbia. 
Printed  by  Wm.  S.   Maiitien. 


Contents^. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    LOG    COLLEGE, 


CHAPTER  II. 

MEMOIR    OF   THE   REV.    WILLIAM    TENNENT,  SEN.  .      13 

CHAPTER   ni. 

MEMOIR   OF   THE   REV.    GILBERT   TENNENT, 24 

CHAPTER  IV. 

MEMOIR    OF   THE  REV.  GILBERT    TENNENT,  Continued,       38 

CHAPTER  V. 

MEMOIR   OF  THE  REV.  GILBERT   TENNENT,  Continued,      53 

CHAPTER  VI. 

MEMOIR   OP  THE  REV.  GILBERT   TENNENT,  Concluded,      68 

CHAPTER   VII. 

THE   LOG   COLLEGE  THE   GERM   FROM   WHICH    PRO- 
CEEDED  THE   COLLEGE   OF   NEW  JERSEY, 70 

CHAPTER  Vin. 
THE  NEW   LONDON   SCHOOL, 86 

(3) 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

MEMOIR   OF   THE    REV.    JOUN   TENNENT, 98 

CHAPTER    X. 

MEMOIR    OF   THE    REV.    WILLIAM    TENNENT,  JR.  .  .    109 

CHAPTER  XI. 

REMARKS   ON    THE    PRECEDING    NARRATIVE,  ....    147 

CHAPTER  XII. 

ANECDOTES    OF  THE   REV.    WILLIAM   TENNENT,  JR.    150 

CHAPTER  Xm. 

MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  CHARLES  TENNENT, 160 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

MEMOIR   OF    THE   REV.    SAMUEL   BLAIR, 164 

CHAPTER  XV. 

MEMOIR   OF   THE   REV.    JOHN   BLAIR, 197 

CHAPTER   XVI. 
MEMOIR   OF   THE    REV.    SAMUEL   FINLEY,  D.D.,  .  .  .    204 

CHAPTER  XVn. 

MEMOIR    OF   THE    REV.    WILLIAM   ROBINSON,  ....    215 

CHAPTER   XVm. 

MEMOIR   OF   THE    REV.    JOHN   ROWLAND, 234 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

MEMOIR   OF   THE    REV.    CHARLES   BEATTY, 247 


APPENDIX, 251 


DEDICATION. 


TO   THE   REVEREND    PRESBYTERY   OF   NEW    BRUNSWICK. 

Dear  Brethren, — There  is  a  propriety  in  dedica- 
ting this  book  to  you,  as  it  owes  its  existence  to  your 
appointment  of  the  author  to  deliver  a  centenary  dis- 
course on  the  8th  of  August,  1838.  A  copy  of  this 
discourse  you  were  pleased  to  ask  for  publication,  a 
compliance  with  which  the  preacher  respectfully  de- 
clined, because  he  found  that  all  the  facts  and  documents 
relative  to  the  origin  of  the  New  Brunswick  Presby- 
tery could  not  be  included  in  a  single  discom'se ;  but 
he  determined  to  make  use  of  such  materials  as  he 
possessed,  or  could  obtain,  to  form  a  small  volume,  and 
lay  it  before  your  reverend  body.  This  purpose  he 
has  been  enabled  imperfectly  to  carry  into  effect ;  and 
he  now  solicits  your  candid  and  favourable  attention  to 
a  work,  which  is  intended  to  give  the  people  of  the 
present  age  an  opportunity  of  seeing  what  the  state  of 
things  in  this  region  was  a  hundred  years  ago. 

As  most  of  those  connected  with  the  New  Brunswick 
Presbytery,  in  its  earliest  days,  were  educated  at  Mr. 
Tennent's  school,  at  Neshaminy,  commonly  called  the 
Log  College,  to  give  some  appearance  of  unity  to  the 
work,  the  history  contained  in  it  is  connected  with 
this  humble,  but  useful  Institution. 

1*  i^) 


G  DEDICATION. 

And  as  the  time  -when  this  Presbytery  had  its  origin 
Avas  a  period  favoured  with  remarkable  revivals  of  re- 
ligion ;  and  the  men,  who  then  composed  this  Presby- 
tery, eminent  instruments,  in  carrying  forward  this 
good  work ;  it  was  judged  to  be  expedient  to  give 
as  distinct  and  full  an  account  of  the  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  those  days  as  could  now  be  obtained. 
And  as  narratives  were  written  by  those  most  inti- 
mately conversant  with  this  great  revival,  which  were 
printed  in  books  now  rarely  to  be  met  with,  it  was 
thought  best  to  rescue  these  documents  from  oblivion, 
and  give  them  unaltered  in  the  very  words  of  the 
original  writers. 

The  editor  cannot  but  think  that  the  biographical 
sketches  here  given  from  authentic  authorities,  Avill  be 
acceptable  to  the  present  members  of  the  Presbytery 
of  New  Brunswick ;  and  he  is  persuaded,  that  the  con- 
gregations in  which  the  displays  of  divine  grace  were 
so  wonderful  a  century  past,  will  be  benefited  by  a 
perusal  of  the  narratives  here  given.  Many  pious 
people  among  us  are  not  aware  that  the  ground  on 
which  they  tread  has,  as  it  were,  been  hallowed  by 
the  footsteps  of  the  Almighty.  And  who  knows  but 
that  prnyers  then  oiTcred  in  faith  remain  yet  to  be 
answered  ? 

I  am  with  sincere  regard. 

Your  brother  in  the  gospel  of  Christ, 

Archibald  Alexander. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE   LOG    COLLEGE. 


AsFOciation  gives  interest  to  places — Lojj  College — Xanie — Site — Size — 
Utter  Desolation — Country  around — Dr.  James  P.  Wilson — Kelic— -* 
Suggestion  of  a  Monument — Importance  of  the  Institution. 

By  association,  objects  which  have  nothing  interest- 
ing in  themselves,  acquire  an  importance,  by  reason 
of  the  persons  or  things  whicli  they  constantly  suggest 
to  our  minds.  The  rock  of  Plymouth  has  nothing  in 
it  which  renders  it  intrinsically  superior  to  thousands 
of  other  rocks  in  the  country ;  and  the  site  of  James- 
tOAvn  has  nothing  but  its  interesting  associations  to 
engage  the  attention  of  any  one.  But  these  spots,  as 
being  the  first  habitations  of  the  Em-opcan  settlers,  in 
this  part  of  the  ncAV  Avorld,  arc  invested  with  an  interest 
which  is  felt  by  all ;  and  this  interest,  instead  of  grow- 
ing weaker  by  the  lapse  of  time,  gathers  new  strength 
every  year.  Indeed,  it  is  only  a  recent  thing,  that  the 
public  attention  has  been  particularly  called  to  these 
objects.  And  though  there  may  be  an  excess  in  the 
emotions  cherished  by  some,  and  an  affectation  of  lively 
interest  in  others  ;  yet,  it  cannot  be  doubted,  that  there 
is  a  foundation  in  human  nature  for  the  interest  which 
is  excited  by  particular  objects,  places,  and  scenes. 
And  the  more  intimately  these  associations  are  related 
to  religion,  the  deeper  and  more  permanent  the  feeling 
becomes.  By  the  abuse  of  this  principle  much  super- 
stition has  been  generated ;  but  the  moderate  and  ju- 
dicious use  of  it  may,  undoubtedly,  be  conducive  to 
piety.  Sacred,  or  holy  places,  figure  largely  in  all 
false  systems  of  religion ;  and  under  the  old  dispensa- 

(7) 


8  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

tion,  tlic  people  of  God  were  encouraged  to  reverence 
those  places  where  the  worship  of  God  was  appointed 
to  be  celebrated.  Under  the  gospel  dispensation,  it  is 
true,  we  have  no  holy  places  or  houses,  to  which  the 
"worship  of  God  is  confined ;  but  in  every  place,  whether 
by  sea  or  land  ;  whether  in  the  grove,  on  the  mountain 
top,  or  in  the  open  field,  or  the  lonely  vale,  God  may 
be  worshipped.  Yet,  who  does  not  entertain  peculiar 
feelings  of  interest  in  relation  to  those  places,  where 
Christ  was  born — where  he  was  brought  up — Avhcre  he 
preached  and  wrought  miracles — but,  especially,  Avhcre 
he  suflfered  and  died,  and  where  he  was  buried  and 
arose  again — and  where  he  ascended  to  heaven,  in  the 
presence  of  his  disciples  ?  This  feeling  is  natural,  and 
associated  with  love  to  Christ,  but  it  readily  becomes 
excessive,  and  degenerates  into  superstition.  There 
never  was  a  book  in  which  there  is  so  little  to  foster 
superstition,  as  the  Bible.  We  never  there  read  of  the 
apostles,  when  they  came  up  to  Jerusalem,  resorting  to 
any  of  these  places,  or  expressing  the  smallest  degree 
of  veneration  for  them.  The  natm-al  tendency  of  the 
human  mind  seems  to  have  been  counteracted,  for  the 
very  purpose  of  preventing  superstition ;  just  as  the 
natural  passions  of  the  evangelists  seem  to  have  been 
restrained  in  writing  the  gospels. 

Of  late,  considerable  curiosity  has  been  manifested 
to  ascertain  the  place  where  the  first  Presbyterian 
church,  in  this  country,  was  formed;  and  the  history 
of  the  first  Presbyterian  preacher  who  came  to  Amer- 
ica, which  had  sunk  into  oblivion,  has,  of  late,  been 
brought  prominently  into  view.  Such  researches, 
when  unaccompanied  with  boasting  and  vainglory,  are 
laudable.  And  to  gratify  a  similar  curiosity,  in  regard 
to  the  first  literary  institution,  above  common  schools, 
in  the  bounds  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  this  small 
book  has  been  compiled.  That  institution,  we  believe, 
was,  what  has  been  called  the  log  college.  The 
reason  of  the  epithet  prefixed  to  the  word  "  Col- 
lege," might  be  obscui'c  to  a  Eui'opean;   but  in  this 


THELOGCOLLEGE.  9 

country,  where  log-cabins  arc  so  numerous,  Avill  be  in- 
telligible to  all  classes  of  readers.  This  edifice,  which 
was  made  of  logs,  cut  out  of  the  woods,  probably, 
from  the  very  spot  where  the  house  was  erected,  was 
situated  in  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  about  twenty 
miles  north  of  Philadelphia.  The  Log  College  has 
long  since  disappeared;  so  that  although  the  site  on 
which  it  stood  is  well  known  to  many  in  the  vicinity, 
there  is  not  a  vestige  of  it  remaining  on  the  ground ; 
and  no  appearance  which  would  indicate  that  a  house 
ever  stood  there.  The  fact  is,  that  some  owner  of  the 
property,  never  dreaming  that  there  was  anything 
sacred  in  the  logs  of  this  humble  edifice,  had  them 
carried  away  and  applied  to  some  ignoble  purpose  on 
the  farm,  Avhere  they  have  rotted  away  like  common 
timber,  from  which,  if  any  of  them  remain,  they  can 
no  longer  be  distinguished.  But  that  some  small  relic 
of  this  venerable  building  might  be  preserved,  the  late 
Presbyterian  minister  of  the  place.  Rev.  Robert  B. 
Belville,  some  years  ago,  rescued  from  the  common 
ruin  so  much  of  one  of  these  logs,  as  enabled  him,  by 
paring  off  the  decayed  parts,  to  reduce  it  to  something 
of  the  form  of  a  walking-staff;  which,  as  a  token  of 
respect,  and  for  safe  keeping,  he  presented  to  the  late 
Rev.  Samuel  Miller,  D.  D.,  one  of  the  oldest  Professors 
of  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton,  New  Jersey. 

The  site  of  the  Log  College  is  about  a  mile  from 
that  part  of  Neshaminy  creek  where  the  Presbyterian 
church  has  long  stood.  The  ground  near  and  around 
it  lies  handsomely  to  the  eye,  and  the  more  distant 
prospect  IS  very  beautiful ;  for  while  there  is  a  conside- 
rable extent  of  fertile,  well  cultivated  land,  nearly 
level,  the  view  is  bounded  to  the  north  and  west  by 
a  range  of  liills,  which  have  a  very  pleasing  appear- 
ance. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  observe,  that  the  late 
Rev.  James  P.  Wilson,  D.  D.,  the  learned  and  admired 
pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  in  Piiiladel- 
phia,  was  so  pleased  with  the  scenery  and  circumstances 


10  THE    LOG     COLLEGE. 

of  this  neifrliboui'hoof],  that  he  purchased  a  small  farm, 
•\vliich  is,  I  believe,  as  near  to  the  site  of  the  Log  Col- 
lege as  any  other  dwelling,  except  the  one  on  the  farm 
on  which  it  was  built.  To  this  farm  he  retired  when 
no  longer  able,  through  bodily  weakness,  to  fulfil  the 
arduous  duties  of  the  pastoral  office.  And  here,  in 
calm  serenity,  he  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life. 

If  I  were  fond  of  projects,  I  would  propose  that  a 
monument  be  erected  to  the  founder  of  the  Log  College 
on  the  very  site  where  the  building  stood,  if  the  land 
could  be  purchased ;  but  at  any  rate,  a  stone  with  an 
inscription  might  be  permanently  fixed  on  or  near  the 
ground.  The  tradition  respecting  this  humble  institu- 
tion of  learning  exists,  not  only  in  the  neighbourhood, 
but  has  been  extended  far  to  the  south  and  Avest. 

The  first  Presbyterian  ministers  in  this  country  were 
nearly  all  men  of  liberal  education.  Some  had  re- 
ceived their  education  in  the  universities  of  Scotland ; 
some  in  L-eland ;  and  others  at  one  of  the  New  Eng- 
Land  colleges.  And  though  there  existed  such  a  des- 
titution of  ministers  in  this  new  country,  they  never 
thought  of  introducing  any  man  into  the  ministry  who 
had  not  received  a  college  or  university  education,  ex- 
cept in  very  extraordinary  cases ;  of  which,  I  believe, 
we  have  but  one  instance  in  the  early  history  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  This  was  the  case  of  a  Welsh- 
man by  the  name  of  Evans,  who,  living  in  a  place 
called  the  Welsh  Tract,  where  the  people  had  no  public 
means  of  grace,  began  to  speak  to  them  of  the  things 
of  God,  on  the  Sabbath,  and  at  other  times;  and  his 
labours  were  so  acceptable  and  useful  that  the  presby- 
tery, after  a  full  trial  of  his  abilities,  licensed  him  to 
preach,  and  afterwards  ordained  him  to  the  whole  work 
of  the  ministry.  They  required  him,  however,  to  go 
through  a  course  of  study,  under  the  direction  of  cer- 
tain members  of  the  Presbytery.  There  is,  indeed, 
another  case  that  may  possibly  fall  into  this  class. 
"  The  people  of  Gape  May  were  without  a  pastor  ;  Mr. 
Braducr,  a  candidate  for  the  ministry,  was  willing  to 


TUE    LOG    COLLEGE.  11 

serve  them,  but  had  no  autliority  to  preach.  In  this 
emergency  three  of  the  nearest  ministers,  Messrs. 
Davis,  Hampton,  and  Henry,  on  their  own  responsi- 
bility, examined  and  licensed  him."*  But  as  he  was 
before  a  candidate,  and  a  Scotchman,  there  is  a  strong 
probability  that  he  was  a  liberally  educated  man. 

There  seems  to  be  no  written  record  of  the  exist- 
ence of  such  an  edifice  as  that  which  we  are  describing 
by  any  contemporary  writer,  except  in  the  Journal  of 
Rev.  George  Whitefield,  the  celebrated  evangelist,  who 
traversed  this  country  several  times,  preaching  every- 
where with  a  popularity  and  success  Avhich  have  never 
been  equalled  by  any  other.  It  will  be  proper,  there- 
fore, to  extract  the  paragraph  which  relates  to  this 
subject;  as  he  gives  the  dimensions  of  the  building, 
and  expressly  says  that  it  had  obtained  the  name  of 
"THE  COLLEGE."  "The  place,"  says  he,  "wherein 
the  young  men  study  now,  is  in  contempt  called  The 
College.  It  is  a  log  house,  about  twenty  feet  long,  and 
near  as  many  broad ;  and  to  me  it  seemed  to  resemble 
the  school  of  the  old  prophets,  for  their  habitations 
were  mean;  and  that  they  sought  not  great  things  for 
themselves  is  plain  from  those  passages  of  Scripture, 
wherein  we  are  told  that  each  of  them  took  them  a 
beam  to  build  them  a  house :  and  that  at  the  feast  of 
the  sons  of  the  prophets,  one  of  them  put  on  the  pot, 
whilst  the  others  went  to  fetch  some  herbs  out  of  the 
field.  All  that  we  can  say  of  most  of  our  universities 
is,  they  are  glorious  without.  From  this  despised 
place,  seven  or  eight  worthy  ministers  of  Jesus  have 
lately  been  sent  forth;  more  are  almost  ready  to  be 
sent,  and  the  foundation  is  now  laying  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  many  others."  The  Journal,  from  which  the 
preceding  extract  is  taken,  was  printed  in  Philadel- 
phia, by  Benjamin  Franklin,  the  same  year  in  which 
Mr.  Whitefield  visited  the  Log  College.  From  this 
testimony  it  appears,  that  the  name  College  was  given 
to  the  building  out  of  contempt,  by  its  enemies;  but 

*  Sco  Records  of  the  i^yuoJ  of  Philadelphia. 


12  TUELOGCOLLEGE. 

iu  this,  as  in  many  other  things,  that  which  is  lightly 
esteemed  among  men,  is  precious  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord.  Though  as  poor  a  house  as  perhaps  was  ever 
erected  for  the  purpose  of  giving  a  liberal  education,  it 
was,  in  a  noble  sense,  a  college;  a  fountain,  from 
which,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter,  proceeded  streams  of 
blessings  to  the  church.  We  shall  again  have  occasion 
to  advert  to  Mr.  Whitefield's  Journal,  when  we  come 
to  speak  of  the  founder  of  this  College ;  but  we  shall 
now  proceed  to  finish  what  we  have  to  say  respecting 
the  site  and  the  building. 

When  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States  determined,  in  the  year 
1811,  to  establish  a  Theological  Seminary,  for  the  more 
thorough  training  of  her  candidates  for  the  sacred  office, 
there  was  much  diversity  of  opinion  respecting  the 
most  eligible  site  for  the  institution.  Between  Prince- 
ton, New  Jersey,  and  Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania,  the 
chief  competition  existed ;  but  there  were  a  few  persons 
Avho  were  strongly  in  favour  of  placing  it  on  the  very 
site  of  the  Log  College.  The  llev.  Nathaniel  Irwin, 
then  pastor  of  the  church  at  Neshaminy,  and  a  man 
of  profound  understanding,  Avas  earnestly  desirous  that 
it  should  be  planted  on  the  grovmd  where  a  building 
had  once  stood,  to  which  the  Presbyterian  church  owes 
so  much.  And  to  manifest  his  sincerity  and  zeal,  Mr. 
Irwin  left,  in  his  will,  one  thousand  dollars  to  the  Sem- 
inary, on  condition  that  it  should  be  ultimately  located 
on  this  site. 


CHAPTER  II. 

MEMOIR   OP  THE   REV.  WM.  TENNENT,  SEN. 


A  minister  of  the  Irish  Episcopal  Church — Emigrates  with  his  family  to 
America — Applies  for  admission  into  the  Synod  and  is  received — Settles 
permanently  at  Neshaminy— Erects  the  Log  College— Visits  Whitcfield, 
and  ia  visited  by  him — His  character  and  death. 

We  come  now  to  give  some  account  of  the  founder 
of  the  Log  College.  The  Rev.  William  Tennent, 
sen.,  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  where  he  was  brought 
up  and  received  a  liberal  education ;  but  at  what  col- 
lege or  university  is  not  known.  It  is  probable,  how- 
ever, that  he  obtained  his  learning  at  Trinity  College, 
Dublin,  as  he  belonged  originally  to  the  Episcopal 
Church  of  Ireland,  in  which  he  took  orders.  By  a 
small  memorandum  book  kept  by  the  Rev.  William  Ten- 
nent, sen.,  it  appears  that  he  was  married  to  a  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kennedy,  May,  1702,  in  the  county 
of  Down,  in  the  north  of  Ireland ;  that  he  was  or- 
dained a  deacon,  in  the  Episcopal  church  of  Ireland 
on  the  1st  day  of  July,  1704 ;  and  ordained  priest  on 
the  22d  of  September,  1706.  After  entering  the  holy 
ministry,  he  acted  as  chaplain  to  an  Irish  nobleman. 
But  there  is  no  evidence  that  he  was  ever  settled  over 
a  parish  in  that  country;  the  reason  assigned  by  the 
author  of  the  Memoir  of  William  Tennent,  jr.,  was  that 
he  could  not  conscientiously  conform  to  the  terms  im- 
posed on  the  clergy  of  that  kingdom.  He  remained  in 
Ireland  until  he  was  past  middle  age.  The  truth  is,  that 
very  little  is  kno^Mi  of  Mr.  Tennent  until  he  arrived  in 
America.  From  Dr.  Elias  Boudinot,  who  was  very 
intimate  with  the  whole  family,  we  learn  that  Mr. 
2  (13) 


14  THE    LOG     COLLEGE. 

Tennent,  in  Ireland,  became  acquainted  with  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Kennedy,  a  distinguished  Presbyterian  preacher, 
who,  having  suiFered  persecution  in  his  own  country, 
exercised  his  ministry  in  Holland  with  great  success. 
The  only  other  notice  of  this  zealous  and  evangelical 
preacher  which  has  been  found  is  in  the  "  Vindication" 
by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Blair,  in  which,  speaking  of  the 
objections  made  to  the  revival,  he  says,  "  Several  have 
very  sufficiently  answered  the  objections  against  the 
work  itself,  as  Mr.  Edwards  in  New  England,  Mr 
Dickinson  in  New  Jersey,  Mr.  Finley  in  Pennsylvania, 
Mr.  Robe  and  Mr.  Webster  in  Scotland,  and  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy in  Holland."  He  then  remarks  that  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy had  published  Mr.  Edwards's  "Narrative,"  with 
attestations  from  Scotland,  translated  by  him  into  the 
Dutch  language.  It  would  be  very  desirable  to  obtain 
some  further  information  of  this  Mr.  Kennedy,  who  is 
spoken  of  as  a  man  of  like  spirit  with  Edwards,  and 
Dickinson,  and  Robe,  and  Webster,  and  Finley.  But, 
probably,  there  remains  no  earthly  record  of  his  labours, 
his  sufferings,  and  successes. 

Our  attention  has  been  directed  to  this  man,  -not 
merely  because  Mr.  Tennent  became  acquainted  with 
him,  but  especially  because  he  married  his  daughter, 
who  was  the  mother  of  his  four  sons,  and  emigrated 
with  him  to  America.  And  it  is  exceedingly  probable 
that  from  this  man,  Mr.  Tennent  imbibed  his  love  of 
the  Presbyterian  system.  Mr.  Tennent's  eldest  son 
was  no  doubt  called  after  his  grandfather  Kennedy, 
whose  name  was  Gilbert. 

In  the  Memoir  of  William  Tennent,  jr.,  it  is  said 
that  his  father  arrived  in  America  in  the  year  1718 ; 
but  in  the  sketch  of  the  life  of  Gilbert  Tennent,  in  the 
Assembly's  Magazine,  for  May,  1805,  "  that  he  came 
over  in  1716,"  which  last  is  believed  to  be  the  more 
accurate  statement.  Upon  his  arrival,  he  settled  first 
in  the  state  of  New  York,  where  he  resided  for  some 
time  at  East  Chester,  and  then  at  Bedford.  Not  long 
after  his  emigration  to  America,  Mr.  Tennent  applied 


THE    REV.    WM.    TENNENT,    SEN.  15 

to  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  to  be  received,  as  a  minis- 
ter, into  their  connexion.  The  Synod  did  not  act  hastily 
in  this  affair,  but  after  full  deliberation,  agreed  to 
receive  Mr.  Tcnnent  as  a  member  of  their  body.  Be- 
fore doing  this,  however,  they  required  him  to  lay 
before  them,  in  writing,  the  reasons  which  had  induced 
him  to  separate  himself  from  the  Episcopal  church. 
And  these  reasons  were  ordered  to  be  entered  on 
record.  The  minute  of  the  Synod,  as  found  in  the 
printed  book  of  records  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  is 
as  follows :  "  Mr.  William  Tennent's  affair  being  trans- 
mitted by  the  committee  [of  overtures]  to  the  Synod, 
was  by  them  fully  considered,  being  well  satisfied  with 
his  credentials,  and  the  testimony  of  some  brethren 
here  present ;  as  also,  they  were  satisfied  with  the  ma- 
terial reasons  which  he  offered  concerning  his  dissent- 
ing from  the  Established  Church  of  Ireland ;  being  put 
to  a  vote  of  the  Synod,  it  was  carried  in  the  aflSlrmative 
to  admit  him  as  a  member  of  the  Synod.  Ordered, 
that  his  reasons  be  inserted  on  the  Synod  book  ad  fu- 
turam  rci  memoriam.  The  Synod  also  ordered  that 
the  modei*ator  should  give  him  a  serious  exhortation  to 
continue  steadfast  in  his  now  holy  profession,  which 
was  done."* 


*  "  The  reasons  of  Mr.  AVilliam  Tcnnent  for  his  dissenting  from  the 
Established  Church  in  Ireland,  delivered  by  him  to  the  Reverend  Synod, 
held  in  Philadelphia,  the  17th  day  of  September,  1718. 

"fiiqirim  is.  Their  government  by  Bishops,  Arch-Bishops,  Deacons,  Arch- 
Deacons,  Canons,  Chapters,  Chancellors,  Vicars,  wholly  anti-scriptural. 

"2.  Their  discipline  by  Surrogates,  and  Chancellors  in  their  Courts 
Ecclesiastic,  without  a  foundation  in  the  word  of  God. 

"  3.  Their  abuse  of  that  supposed  discipline  by  commutation. 

"4.  A  Diocesan  Bishop  cannot  bo  founded  jure  divino  upon  those 
Epistles  to  Timothy  or  Titus,  nor  any  where  else  in  the  word  of  God,  and 
60  is  a  mere  human  invention. 

"  5.  The  usurped  power  of  the  Bishops  at  their  yearly  visitations,,  act- 
ing all  of  themselves,  without  the  consent  of  the  brethren. 

"  6.  Pluralities  of  benefices. 

"  Lastly.  The  Churches  conniving  at  the  practice  of  Arminian  doctrines 
inconsistent  with  the  eternal  purpose  of  God,  and  an  encouragement  of 
vice.  Besides,  I  could  not  be  satisfied  with  their  ceremonial  way  of  wor- 
ship. These,  Ac,  have  so  afiTcctcd  ray  conscience,  that  I  could  no  longer 
abide  in  a  church  where  the  same  arc  practised.     Signed  by 

•'  William  Tennent." 


16  THELOGCOLLEGE. 

This  transaction  took  place  on  the  17th  day  of  Sep- 
tember, 1718;  it  is  probable,  however,  that  Mr.  Ten- 
ncnt's  application  was  first  made  to  the  Synod  the 
previous  year ;  although  nothing  appears  on  the  records 
relative  to  this  matter.  But  in  the  short  account  of 
the  Rev.  William  Tennent,  sen.,  in  the  Assembly's 
Magazine,  it  is  stated,  that  after  some  delay,  he  was 
received.  And  the  minute  recited  above  seems  to 
speak  of  it  as  a  thing  before  under  consideration ;  for 
it  would  be  very  abrupt  and  unusual  to  speak  of  a  first 
application  in  the  language  here  used — "Mr.  Tennent's 
afiair,"  &c.,  without  any  notice  of  any  application  made 
by  him.  It  is  probable  that  the  application  to  Synod 
was  made  in  the  year  17 17,  which  was  the  next  year 
after  his  arrival. 

Whether  Mr.  Tennent  had  the  pastoral  care  of  a 
church  in  the  state  of  New  York,  does  •  not  appear ; 
but  about  the  year  1721,  he  received  an  invitation  to 
settle  at  Bensalem,  in  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  to 
which  place  he  removed  his  family,  and  continued  to 
supply  that  small  Presbyterian  congregation  until  the 
year  1726,  when  he  received  a  call  to  the  Presbyterian 
church  at  Neshaminy,  in  the  same  county.  In  this 
place  he  continued  the  remainder  of  his  life.  And 
here,  within  a  few  steps  of  his  own  dwelling,  he  erected 
the  building  which  has  already  been  described  ;  which, 
though  humble  and  even  despicable  in  its  external  ap- 
pearance, was  an  institution  of  unspeakable  importance 
to  the  Presbyterian  church  in  this  country. 

It  may  be  proper  to  remark,  in  this  place,  that  from 
all  the  accounts  which  we  have,  it  appears,  that  at  this 
time,  the  state  of  vital  piety  was  very  low  in  the  Pres- 
byterian church  in  America.  And  the  same  was  true 
of  the  churches  in  New  England.  And  this  was  re- 
markably the  fact  in  regard  to  Great  Britain.  The 
ministers  composing  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  this 
country,  were  sound  in  the  faith,  and  strongly  attached 
to  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith  and  Catechisms, 
as  were  also  their  people ;  and  there  were  no  diversities 


THE    REV.    WM.    TENNENT,    SEN.  17 

or  contentions  among  thcra  respecting  the  doctrines  of 
the  gospel ;  but  as  to  the  vital  power  of  godliness,  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  it  was  little  known  or  spoken 
of./  Revivals  of  religion  were  nowhere  heard  of,  and 
an  orthodox  creed,  and  a  decent  external  conduct  were 
the  only  points  on  Avhich  iiKjuiry  was  made  when  per- 
sons were  admitted  to  the  communion  of  the  church. 
Indeed,  it  was  very  mucli  a  matter  of  course,  for  all 
who  had  been  baptized  in  infancy,  to  be  received  into 
communion  at  the  proper  age,  without  exhibiting  or 

{)ossessing  any  satisfactory  evidence  of  a  change  of 
icart  by  the  supernatural  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
And  the  habit  of  the  preachers  was  to  address  their 
people  as  though  they  W'Cre  all  pious,  and  only  needed 
instruction  and  confirmation.  It  was  not  a  common 
thing  to  denounce  the  terrors  of  a  violated  law,  and  to 
insist  on  the  absolute  necessity  of  regeneration.  Under 
such  a  state  of  things,  it  is  easy  to  conceive,  that  in  a 
short  time  vital  piety  may  have  almost  deserted  the 
church,  and  that  formality  and  "dead  orthodoxy"  have 
been  all  that  was  left  of  religion.  And  nothing  is  more 
certain,  than  that  when  people  have  sunk  into  this  de- 
plorable state  they  will  be  disposed  to  manifest  strong 
opposition  to  faithful,  pointed  preaching ;  and  will  be 
apt  to  view  every  appearance  of  revival  with  an  unfa- 
vourable eye.  Accordingly,  when  God  raised  up 
preachers,  animated  with  a  bm-ning  zeal,  who  laboured 
faithfully  to  convince  their  hearers  of  their  ruined  con- 
dition, and  of  the  necessity  of  a  thorough  conversion  from 
sin,  the  opposition  to  them,  both  in  Great  Britain  and 
this  country,  was  violent.  The  gospel,  among  people 
in  such  a  condition,  is  sure  to  produce  strife  and  divi- 
sion between  those  who  fall  under  its  influence  and 
those  Avhose  carnal  minds  urge  them  to  oppose  it.  It 
was  in  such  a  state  of  tJie  clmrch  that  Mr.  Tennent 
came  to  this  country.  What  his  own  course  of  religious 
experience  had  been,  we  have  no  information ;  but  he 
seems  to  have  imbibed  a  warm,  evangelical  spirit,  and 
to  have  been,  in  this  coimtry,  distinguished  for  his  zeal 
2  * 


18  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

and  efforts  in  promoting  vital  piety.  When  Mr.  White- 
field  first  visited  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Tenncnt  lost  no 
time  in  calling  upon  him.  Though  he  lived  nearly  twenty 
miles  from  Philadelphia,  yet  no  sooner  did  he  hear  of 
the  arrival  of  this  evangelical  and  successful  preacher, 
than  taking  with  him  some  of  his  pious  friends,  he  re- 
paired to  the  city,  and  from  Mr.  Whitefield's  Journal, 
we  learn  that  the  visit  was  very  acceptable  to  him ; 
for  he  says,  "At  my  return  home  [from  visiting  a 
family]  was  much  comforted  by  the  coming  of  one  Mr. 
Tennent,  an  old  gray-headed  disciple  and  soldier  of 
Jesus  Christ.  He  keeps  an  academy  about  twenty 
miles  from  Philadelphia,  and  has  been  blessed  with 
four  gracious  sons,  three  of  which  have  been,  and  still 
continue  to  be,  eminently  useful  in  the  church  of 
Christ.  He  brought  three  pious  souls  along  with  him, 
and  rejoiced  me  by  lettuig  me  know  how  they  had  been 
spoken  evil  of  for  their  Master's  sake.  He  is  a  great 
friend  of  Mr.  Erskine,  of  Scotland ;  and  as  far  as  I 
can  learn,  both  he  and  his  sons,  are  secretly  despised 
by  the  generality  of  the  Synod,  as  Mr.  Erskine  and 
his  friends  are  hated  by  the  judicatories  of  Edinburgh, 
and  as  the  Methodist  preachers  (as  they  are  called) 
are  by  their  brethren  in  England."  This  testimony 
of  Mr.  Whitefield  goes  to  show  that  the  course  pursued 
by  old  Mr.  Tennent  and  his  sons  was  different  from 
that  of  the  other  ministers  of  the  Synod,  to  whom  he 
stood  in  the  same  relation  as  Whitefield,  Wesley,  and 
their  coadjutors,  to  the  great  body  of  the  clergy  in 
England.  Mr.  Whitefield,  on  his  return  from  New 
York,  went  to  Neshaminy,  and  spent  some  days  with 
Mr.  Tennent. 

Here  again  we  arc  glad  to  have  the  opportunity  of 
using  the  very  words  of  jNIr.  AVhitefield. 

"Nov.  22.  [17311.]  Set  out  for  Neshaminy,  (twenty 
miles  distant  from  Trent  Town,)  where  old  Mr.  Ten- 
nent lives,  and  keeps  an  academy,  and  where  I  was  to 
preach  to-day,  according  to  appointment.  About  12 
fo'clock]  we  came  thither,  and  found  about  three  thou- 


THE    llEV.    WM.    TENNENT,    SEN.'  19 

sand  people  gathered  together,  in  the  meeting-house 
yard.  Mr.  ^Villianl  Tcnncnt,  jr.,  an  eminent  servant 
of  Jesus  Christ,  because  we  stayed  beyond  the  time  ap- 
pointed, was  preaching  to  them.  When  I  came  up, 
he  soon  sto])t;  sung  a  psalm,  and  then  I  began  to 
speak,  as  the  Lord  gave  me  utterance.  At  hrst,  the 
people  seemed  unaftectcd,  but  in  the  midst  of  my  dis- 
course, the  power  of  the  Lord  Jesus  came  upon  me, 
and  I  felt  such  a  struggling  within  myself  for  the 
people,  as  I  scarce  ever  felt  before.  The  hearers 
began  to  be  melted  down  immediately,  and  to  cry 
much;  and  we  had  good  reason  to  hope  the  Lord  in- 
tended good  for  many.  After  I  liad  finished,  Mr. 
Gilbert  Tcnnont  gave  a  word  of  exhortation,  to  confirm 
what  had  been  delivered.  At  the  end  of  his  discourse, 
we  sung  a  psalm,  and  dismissed  the  people  with  a 
blessing:  0  that  the  people  may  say  amen  to  it!  After 
our  exercises  were  over  we  went  to  old  Mr.  Tennent's, 
who  entertained  us  like  one  of  the  ancient  patriarchs. 
His  wife,  to  me  seemed  like  Elizabeth,  and  he  like 
Zachary ;  both,  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  walk  in  all  the 
commandments  and  ordinances  of  the  Lord,  blameless. 
Though  God  was  pleased  to  humble  my  soul,  so  that  I 
was  obliged  to  retire  for  a  while ;  yet  we  had  sweet 
communion  with  each  other,  and  spent  the  evening  in 
concerting  what  measures  had  best  be  taken  for  pro- 
moting our  dear  Lord's  kingdom.  It  happened  very 
providentially  that  Mr.  Tcnnent  and  his  brethren  are 
appointed  to  be  a  Presbytery  by  the  Synod,  so  that 
they  intend  bringing  up  gracious  youths,  and  sending 
them  out  from  time  to  time  into  the  Lord's  vineyard. 
The  place  wherein  the  young  men  study,  now  is,  in 
contempt,  called  THE  cot.leoe,  &c.  Friday,  Nov.  23 : 
Parted  with  dear  Mr.  Tennent,  and  his  other  worthy 
fellow-labourcis ;  but  promised  to  remember  each  other 
publicly  in  our  jiraycrs." 

From  the  preceding  extract  we  learn  that  Mr.  Ten- 
nent was  a  man  of  congenial  spirit  with  Mr.  Whitefield, 
and  that  he  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  this  distinguished 


20  THE    LOG     COLLEGE. 

preacher  and  devoted  servant  of  God.  Of  scarcely  any 
other  minister  of  any  denomination  does  he  make  so 
honourable  a  mention,  and  to  no  other  in  this  region 
did  he  pay  so  respectful  an  attention.  It  is  certain, 
from  the  foregoing  account,  that  Mr.  Tennent  was  dis- 
tinguished among  his  brethren,  as  the  open  and  zealous 
friend  of  vital  piety,  and  of  revivals  of  religion.  The 
character  of  his  public  preaching  is  nowhere  given,  and 
we  are  left  to  infer  it  from  his  character;  or  rather 
from  the  character  of  his  pupils,  of  whom  an  account 
will  be  given  hereafter.  As  a  classical  scholar,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  of  his  eminence.  The  late  Hon.  Elias 
Boudinot,  LL. D.,  who  knew  him  well,  says,  "that  he 
was  well  skilled  in  the  Latin  language,  that  he  could 
speak  and  converse  in  it  with  as  much  facility  as  in  his 
vernacular  tongue,  and  also,  that  he  was  a  proficient 
in  the  other  ancient  languages.  In  confirmation  of 
what  he  says  about  his  skill  in  the  Latin  language,  he 
relates,  that  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Phila- 
delphia after  his  reception,  he  delivered  before  that 
body  an  elegant  Latin  oration.  The  writer  of  a  sketch 
of  the  life  of  the  Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent,  inserted  in  the 
May  number  of  the  Assembly's  Magazine,  for  the  year 
1805,  says,  respecting  the  Rev.  "William  Tennent,  sen. : 
"He  was  eminent  as  a  classical  scholar.  His  attain- 
ments in  science  are  not  so  well  known ;  but  there  is 
reason  to  believe  they  Avere  not  so  great  as  his  skill  in 
language.  His  general  character  appears  to  have  been 
that  of  a  man  of  great  integrity,  simplicity,  industry, 
and  piety." 

Mr.  Tennent  was,  by  his  position  at  Neshaminy,  a 
member  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia;  but  Avhen 
the  division  of  the  Synod  took  place,  he  attached  him- 
self to  the  New  Brunswick  Presbytery,  to  which  his 
sons  Gilbert  and  William  belonged. 

It  appears  from  the  published  records  of  the  Synod 
of  Philadelphia,  that  in  the  year  1737,  a  complaint 
was  made  to  the  Synod,  by  a  part  of  the  congregation 
of  Neshaminy,  against  the  Rev.  William  Tennent,  their 


THE    REV.     WM.     TENNENT,     SEN.  21 

pastor ;  and  also  an  answer  to  the  same,  from  another 
part  of.  the  said  congregation.  Both  of  these  papers 
were  read,  article  by  article,  and  both  parties  heard 
at  length  what  they  had  to  say.  Mr.  Thomson  was 
directed  to  prepare  a  minute  which  should  express  the 
mind  of  the  Synod,  in  relation  to  this  matter ;  which 
being  done,  was  adopted,  viz.  "That  the  reasons  ad- 
vanced by  the  disaffected  party  of  that  congregation, 
in  justification  of  their  non-compliance  with  the  Synod's 
judgment  in  relation  to  them,  last  year,  and  their  desire 
to  be  freed  from  Mr.  Tennent  as  their  pastor,  are  utterly 
insufficient,  being  founded  (as  appears  to  us),  partly 
upon  ignorance  and  mistake,  and  partly  (as  we  fear) 
upon  prejudice.  It  is  therefore  ordered,  that  the  mode- 
rator recommend  it  to  said  people  to  lay  aside  such 
groundless  dissatisfactions  and  return  to  their  duty, 
which  they  have  too  long  strayed  from ;  otherwise,  the 
Synod  will  be  bound  to  treat  them  as  disQi'derly." 
This  minute  was  unanimously  approved. 

The  matter  referred  to,  as  having  been  before  the 
Synod  the  preceding  year,  was,  that  though  Mr.  Ten- 
nent had  so  long  acted  as  the  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Ncshaminy,  he  had  never  been  formally  installed.  In 
regard  to  which,  the  Synod  had  come  to  the  following 
judgment:  "That  it  appears  evident  to  the  Synod, 
that  Mr.  Tennent  having  in  all  respects  acted  and  been 
esteemed,  and  looked  upon,  not  only  by  the  Synod, 
but  by  the  congregation  of  Ncshaminy,  and  particu- 
larly by  the  appellants  themselves,  as  the  minister  and 
pastor  of  the  people  of  Ncshaminy,  that  he  is  still  to 
be  esteemed  as  the  pastor  of  that  ])eople,  notwithstand- 
ing the  want  of  a  formal  instalment  among  them." 

For  some  time  before  his  death  his  health  was  so 
feeble,  that  he  was  unable  to  perform  the  duties  of  the 
pastoral  office,  and  his  pulpit  was  supplied  by  the  Pres- 
bytery, In  the  year  1742,  we  find  the  following 
minute  on  the  records  of  the  Presbytery.  "Mr.  Wil- 
liam Tennent,  sen.,  gave  in  to  Presbytery  a  paper,  set- 
tmg  forth  his  inability,  by  reason  of  advanced  age,  to 


22  THE    LOa    COLLEGE. 

discharge  the  work  of  the  ministry  unto  the  congrega- 
tion of  Ncshaminy,  over  wliich,  for  divers  years  past 
he  has  been  overseer — desiring  the  Presbytery  to  grant 
to  said  congregation  of  Neshaminy,  such  supplies  as 
they  can."  We  find  his  name  enrolled  among  the 
members  of  tlie  New  BrunsAvick  Presbytery,  in  the  fol- 
lowing year  (17 4o),  and  in  the  same  year,  he  is  men- 
tioned as  present  when  the  Presbytery  met  to  ordain 
Mr.  Beatty  as  his  successor.  It  is  evident  from  this, 
that  he  had  resigned  his  charge,  for  Mr.  Beatty  is  not 
said  to  have  been  ordained  as  his  colleague.  This 
seems  to  have  been  the  last  meeting  of  Presbytery 
which  he  ever  attended.  His  connection  with  the  con- 
gregation was,  no  doubt,  dissolved  at  the  time  when  he 
presented  the  paper  stating  his  inability  to  fulfil  the 
duties  of  a  pastor;  for,  in  the  same  year,  a  call  was 
presented  to  Mr.  William  Robinson,  wluch  he  declined ; 
and  after  this,  in  1748,  Mr.  Beatty  having  accepted 
the  call  of  the  people,  was  ordained  their  pastor  in  the 
month  of  October. 

It  is  stated  in  the  sketch  of  the  life  of  Gilbert  Tcn- 
nent,  in  the  Assembly's  Magazine,  that  the  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Tennent,  sen.,  died  in  the  year  1743 ;  but  this  is 
not  correct ;  for  we  find  a  record  in  the  minutes  of  the 
New  Brunswick  Presbytery  for  the  year  1746,  of  the 
following  import:  "It  is  reported  to  the  Presbytery 
that  Mr.  William  Tennent,  son.,  deceased,  since  our 
last."  The  exact  date  of  his  death  was  May  6,  1746, 
aged  73.  This  was  communicated  to  the  author  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Miller,  who  transcribed  it  from  his  tomb- 
stone. 

He  died  at  his  own  house,  in  Neshaminy,  and  came 
to  the  grave  in  a  good  old  age,  like  a  shock  of  corn 
fully  ripe.  lie  was  buried  in  the  Presbyterian  bury- 
mg-ground,  where  his  tomb  may  be  yet  seen. 

Mr.  Tennent,  as  far  as  we  know,  never  published 
anything.  We  have,  therefore,  no  means  of  ascertain- 
ing his  abilities  as  a  writer;  but  the  benefit  he  con- 
ferred on  the  church  by  his  school  can  never  be  for- 


THE    REV.     WM.     TENNENT,     SEN.  23 

gotten.  The  Presbyterian  churcli  is  probably  not 
more  indebted  for  her  prosperity,  and  for  the  evan- 
gelical spirit  -whicli  has  generally  pervaded  her  body, 
to  any  individual  than  to  the  elder  Tennent.  Some 
men  accomplish  much  more  By  those  whom  they  edu- 
cate, than  ])y  their  own  personal  labours.  This  should 
be  an  encouragement  to  such  ministers  as  are  obliged 
to  resort  to  teaching  for  their  own  support.  If  they 
are  so  favoured  as  to  be  the  means  of  bringing  forward 
a  few  pious  youth,  and  preparing  them  for  the  minis- 
try, they  may  do  more  good  than  if  their  whole  lives 
had  been  spent  in  doing  nothing  else  but  preaching 
the  Gospel.  And  it  is  good  policy  for  Presbyterian 
ministers  to  establish  schools,  in  their  charges,  wher- 
ever they  are  needed.  And  this  they  may  do,  without 
subjecting  themselves  to  the  drudgery  of  teaching  all 
the  time.  Pious  young  men  might  be  found,  to  whom 
such  a  situation  would  be  a  favour ;  and  such  institu- 
tions are  often  necessary  to  enable  a  minister  to  edu- 
cate his  own  sons.  When  the  means  of  acquiring  a 
liberal  education  are  brought  to  the  doors  of  the  peo- 
ple, many  will  avail  themselves  of  the  privilege,  who 
would  never  have  thought  of  going  abroad  for  the 
same  purpose.  The  truth  of  this  remark  has  been 
verified  in  almost  every  place  where  a  good  school  has 
been  established. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  our  materials  for  a  memoir 
of  the  Founder  of  the  Lo(J  College  are  so  scanty;  but 
liis  usefulness  must  be  estimated  by  the  character  of 
his  pupils,  of  some  of  whom  we  shall  have  it  in  our 
power  to  give  a  more  particular  account ;  and  to  this 
part  of  our  work  we  shall  now  address  ourselves. 


CHAPTER  III. 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  GILBERT  TENNENT. 


Gilbert  Tennent — Birth — Education — Conversion — Licensure — Character 
by  Dr.  Finley— By  Mr.  Price— By  Mr.  Whitefield— Visit  to  Boston- 
Success  of  his  ministry  in  New  England,  and  in  other  places. 

Having,  in  the  preceding  chapter,  given  some  ac- 
count of  the  Founder  of  this  literary  institution,  let  us 
now  attend  to  the  character  of  some  of  its  principal 
pupils.  The  surest  criterion  by  which  to  judge  of  the 
character  of  any  school,  is  to  observe  the  attainments 
and  habits  of  those  educated  in  it.  And,  judging  by 
this  rule,  a  very  high  place  must  be  assigned  to  the 
Log  College,  notwithstanding  its  diminutive  and  mean 
external  appearance.  And  what  was  before  said  should 
be  remembered,  that  this  was  the  first  seminary  in 
which  young  men  were  trained  for  the  gospel  ministry 
within  the  limits  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Before 
this  school  was  opened,  if  a  young  man  wished  to  be- 
come a  minister  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  he  must 
either  repair  to  one  of  the  New  England  colleges  or  go 
to  Europe.  It  is  morally  certain,  therefore,  that  few, 
if  any,  of  those  who  were  brought  forward  to  the  work 
could  ever  have  reached  the  ministry  had  it  not  been 
for  this  school.  Accordingly  we  find  that,  for  a  con- 
siderable time,  nearly  all  the  ministers  composing  the 
Synod  were  either  from  Great  Britain,  Ireland,  or  New 
England,  except  those  who  proceeded  from  this  school. 
And  of  what  character  and  abilities  these  were,  we  shall 
soon  see.  The  first  on  the  list  of  students  in  this 
school  was,  no  doubt,  Mr.  Tennent's  eldest  son,  Gil- 
bert. For  though  he  had  finished  his  education  before 
(24) 


THE    REV.    GILBERT   TEXNENT.  25 

the  Log  College  was  built,  yet  ho  received  no  other 
education  than  what  ho  gained  under  the  tuition  of  his 
father ;  and  may,  therefore,  without  impropriety  be 
classed  among  the  pupils  of  the  institution. 

Gilbert  Tennent,  the  eldest  son  of  the  Rev.  William 
Tennent,  sen.,  was  born  in  the  county  of  Armagh, 
Ireland,  April  5,  in  the  year  1703,  and  was,  therefore, 
thirteen  or  fourteen  years  of  age  when  his  father  emi- 
grated to  this  country.  In  setting  up  this  school,  no 
doubt,  the  father  had  a  regard  to  the  education  of  his 
four  sons.  Men  who  have  themselves  profited  by  edu- 
cation, and  have  become  learned,  cannot  but  feel  a 
lively  interest  in  the  education  of  their  children ;  and 
this  motive  has  had  its  influence  in  the  institution  of 
numerous  classical  schools  in  this  country  besides  the 
Log  College.  Judging  by  the  result,  however,  all 
have  reason  to  conclude,  that  in  the  mind  of  this  good 
man  the  education  of  his  sons  was  viewed  as  subordi- 
nate to  the  prosperity  of  the  Church  ;  for  every  one 
of  them  became  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  some  of 
them  ranked  among  the  most  distinguished  who  have 
ever  laboured  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Gilbert  Tennent,  as  has  been  remarked,  received  his 
education  under  the  paternal  roof  before  this  school 
was  opened,  for  at  this  time  he  was  twenty-one  or 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  and  was  soon  able  to  be  an 
assistant  to  his  father  in  teaching  the  other  students. 
And  when  we  consider  the  eminence  to  which  he  rose 
as  a  preacher,  and  as  a  writer,  we  need  no  other  proof 
of  the  talents  and  skill  of  his  reverend  tutor. 

Gilbert  Tennent's  first  religious  impressions  of  any 
permanency,  were  experienced  when  he  was  about 
fourteen  years  of  age.  His  serious  concern  about  his/ 
salvation  continued  for  several  years  before  his  mind 
was  established  in  comfort  and  peace.  During  this 
period  he  was  often  in  great  agony  of  spirit,  until  at 
last  it  pleased  God  to  give  him  "  the  light  of  the  know- 
ledge of  his  glory  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ."  While 
he  remained  in  the  anxious  state  of  mind  which  has 
3 


2G  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

been  referred  to,  besides  his  other  studies,  he  pursued 
a  course  of  theological  reading ;  but  living  under  the 
habitual  impression  that  his  spiritual  condition  was 
not  good,  he  durst  not  think  of  entering  the  holy 
ministry.  He  therefore  commenced  the  study  of  me- 
dicine, which  he  prosecuted  for  the  space  of  a  year. 
But  about  this  time  it  pleased  God  to  reveal  himself  to 
him  with  so  much  clearness  and  comfort,  that  all  his 
doubts  and  sorrows  and  fears  were  dispelled,  and  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness  arose  upon  him  with  healing 
under  his  wings.  And  no  sooner  was  he  satisfied  of 
his  saving  interest  in  Christ,  than  he  felt  himself  called 
to  seek  the  ministry,  which  he  had  before  been  deterred 
from  thinking  of.  And  here  it  may  be  proper  to  re- 
mark, that  often  when  God  intends  a  man  for  eminent 
usefulness  in  the  ministry,  he  leads  him  through  deep 
waters,  and  causes  him  to  drink  freely  of  the  cup  of 
spiritual  sorrow,  that  he  may  be  prepared,  by  a  long 
course  of  afflictive  experiences,  to  sympathize  with 
tempted  and  desponding  believers ;  and  may  learn  how 
to  administer  to  them  that  consolation  by  which  his  own 
heart  was  at  last  comforted.  Of  this,  religious  biogra- 
phy furnishes  many  instructive  examples.  After  due 
preparation  and  study,  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent  presented 
himself  as  a  candidate  to  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia, 
of  which  his  father  was  a  member.  Having  passed  the 
usual  trials  before  the  Presbytery  to  their  great  appro- 
bation, he  received  a  license  to  preach  in  May,  1726. 
This  was  the  very  year  in  which  the  Log  College  was 
opened ;  and  as  we  learn  from  the  documents  to  which  we 
have  had  access  that  he  was  an  usher,  or  assistant  to  his 
father  in  the  school,  it  seems  altogether  probable  that 
he  continued  with  his  father  in  the  school  for  one  year 
at  least ;  for  by  the  Presbyterial  Records  it  appears 
that  he  was  not  ordained  and  settled  as  a  pastor  until 
the  autumn  of  the  year  1727.  This,  then,  is  the  only 
period  in  which  he  could  have  been  a  tutor  in  the  Log 
College  ;  for  it  was  not  in  existence  until  1726,  and 
after  he  was  ordained  he  was  the  regular  pastor  of  an 


THE    K  E  V.    G  I  L  15  E  K  T    T  E  N  N  E  N  T.  27 

important  church  in  another  state ;  for  he  was  called 
to  take  charge  of  the  Presbyterian  congregation  in  tiie 
city  of  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey.  Before  Gilbert 
Tennent  settled  at  New  Brunswick,  he  preached  seve- 
ral Sabbaths  in  New  Castle,  on  the  Delaware,  and  re- 
ceived a  call  from  the  Presbyterian  congregation  in 
that  place ;  which,  however,  he  did  not  accept. 

From  his  first  entrance  on  the  public  work  of  the 
ministry,  the  preaching  of  Gilbert  Tennent  was  very 
popular  and  attractive,  with  all  classes  of  hearers.  He 
possessed  uncommon  advantages  as  a  preacher.  In 
person,  he  Avas  taller  than  the  common  stature,  and 
well  proportioned  in  every  respect.  His  aspect  was 
grave  and  venerable,  and  his  address  prepossessing. 
His  voice  was  clear  and  commandinsi;,  and  his  manner 
in  the  pulpit  was  exceedingly  earnest  and  impressive. 
His  reasoning  powers,  also,  were  strong,  and  his  lan- 
guage often  nervous,  and,  indeed,  sublime.  No  one 
could  hear  him  without  being  convinced  that  he  was 
deeply  in  earnest.  His  style  was  copious,  and  some- 
times elegant.  Indeed,  in  the  vigour  of  his  age,  few 
preachers  could  equal  him. 

In  the  sermon  preached  at  the  funeral  of  ]\Ir.  Ten- 
nent, by  Dr.  Finlcy,  he  describes  his  character,  as  fol- 
lows :  "  In  his  manners,  at  first  view,  he  seemed  distant 
and  reserved;  yet,  upon  nearer  acquaintance,  he  was 
ever  found  affable,  condescending,  and  communicative. 
And  what  greatly  endeared  his  conversation  was,  an 
openness  and  undisguised  honesty ;  at  the  greatest 
remove  from  artifice  and  dissimulation,  which  were 
the  abhorrence  of  his  soul  while  he  lived.  Besides,  he 
was  tender,  loving,  and  compassionate ;  kind  and  agree- 
able in  every  relation ;  an  assured  friend  to  such  as  he 
esteemed  worthy  of  his  regards;  and  a  common  patron 
to  all  whom  he  apprehended  were  injured  or  distressed. 
Hewas  of  a  truly  public  spirit,  and'  seemed  to  feel  the 
various  cases  of  mankind  in  general ;  but  sensibly  par- 
took of  all  the  good  or  ill  that  befell  his  country.  He 
needed  no  other  motive  to  exert  himself,  than  only  to 


28  THELOGCOLLEGB. 

be  persuaded  that  the  matter  in  question  was  an  im- 
portant public  good;  and  in  such  cases  he  was  much 
regarded,  not  only  because  of  his  known  integrity,  but 
his  generous  and  catholic  disposition.  For  although 
he  was  a  great  lover  of  truth,  and  very  zealous  for  its 
propagation ;  yet,  he  was  so  far  above  a  narrow,  party 
spirit,  that  he  loved  and  honored  all  who  seemed  to 
have  'the  root  of  the  matter  in  them,'  and  made  it 
their  business  to  promote  the  essentials  of  religion, 
though  they  were,  in  various  points,  opposed  to  his 
own  sentiments.     He  was,  moreover,  an  example  of 

[/  great  fortitude  and  unshaken  resolution.  Whatever 
appeared  to  him  subservient  to  the  advancement  of  the 
Redeemer's  kingdom,  the  salvation  of  souls,  or  the 
common  good  of  mankind,  he  pursued  with  spirit ;  and 
what  he  did,  he  did  with  his  might.  If  the  end  seemed 
to  be  attainable,  great  obstructions  and  difficulties  in 
the  way  were  so  far  from  dispiriting,  that  they  ani- 
jnated  him  in  his  efforts:  nor  wovild  he  give  up  the 
point  while  one  glimpse  of  hope  remained.  Hence,  he 
accomplished  many  important  matters  which  one  less 
determined  and  enterprising,  would  presently  have 
relinquished  as  desperate.  He  would  go  through  honour 
and  dishonour,  through  '  evil  report  and  good  report ;' 
and  though  he  had  sensibility  with  respect  to  his  cha- 
racter as  well  as  other  men;  yet,  if  preserving  it, 
seemed  at  any  time  to  require  the  omission  of  duty, 
,     or  sinful  compliances,  he  readily  determined  to  expose 

♦^  himself  to  all  risks ;  and  if  adhering  to  the  will  of  God 
should  be  accounted  'vile,'  he  resolved  that  he  would 
be  'yet  more  vile.' 

"A  great  part  of  his  life  was  a  scene  of  unremitted 
labour.  He  studied  hard,  travelled  much,  and  preached 
often,  while  his  health  and  other  circumstances  permit- 
ted. He  was  'instant  in  season  and  out  of  season:' 
always  about  his  Master's  business.  They  who  have 
journeyed  or  been  often  with  him  hi  company,  could 
not  but  observe  his  constant  endeavours  to  do  good  by 
his  conversation ;  to  introduce  some  convincing  or  edify- 


THE    REV.     aiL13ERT    TENNENT.  29 

ing  topics;  and  his  Avatching  for  proper  opportunities 
for  speaking  for  God.  And  very  faithful  was  he  in 
warning  sinners  of  their  danger,  and  persuading  tliem 
to  seek  salvation  in  earnest.  Thus,  he  showed  how 
much  religion  was  his  element,  and  promoting  it  the 
delightful  business  of  his  life.  How  benevolent  towards 
mankind  he  was,  and  how  precious  immortal  souls 
were  in  his  esteem,  Avas  evident  from  this,  that  every 
advantage  accruing  to  them  he  reckoned  clear  gain  to 
himself;  nor  were  they  'who  divide  the  spoil,'  ever 
more  joyful  than  I  have  known  him  to  be,  on  occasion 
of  the  hopeful  conversion  of  sinners,  wdiether  by  his 
own,  or  the  ministry  of  others.  And  often  has  his 
'  soul  Avept  in  secret  places  for  the  pride'  and  obstinacy 
of  those  who  refused  to  be  reclaimed. 

"His  great  reading,  Avith  his  various  and  long  ex- 
perience of  the  Avorkings  of  both  grace  and  corruption 
in  the  heart,  made  him  a  wise  and  skilful  casuist,  Avho 
could  resolve  perplexing  exercises  of  mind  Avith  clear- 
ness, [and  enabled]  him  to  comfort  with  those  consola- 
tions, AAherewith  he  in  like  cases  had  been  comforted 
of  God. 

"  He  Avas  a  faithful  attendant  on  the  judicatories  of 
the  church,  as  Avas  natural  for  one  so  anxiously  con- 
cerned for  the  interest  of  religion,  as  he  Avas.  And 
having  observed  the  eifects  of  a  lax  and  negligent  govern- 
ment in  some  churches,  he  became  a  more  strenuous 
asserter  of  due  and  strict  discipline.  But  above  all 
other  things,  the  purity  of  the  ministry  was  his  care ; 
and,  therefore,  at  the  hazard  of  the  displeasure  of 
many,  and  in  the  face  of  reproach,  he  zealously  urged 
every  scriptural  method  by  Avhich  carnal  and  earthly- 
minded  men  might  be  kept  from  entering  it,  and  men 
of  piety  and  zeal,  as  Avell  as  learning,  introduced. 

"As  Mr.  Tennent's  preaching  Avas  very  alarming 
and  aAvakening  to  careless  sinners,  so  it  was  much 
blessed  to  this  end,  Avherever  he  preached.  And  it 
was  not  only  rendered  eflfectual  in  producing  convic- 
tion of  sin,  and  exciting  desires  to  flee  from  the  wrath 
3* 


X 


30  TIIELOGCOLLEGE. 

to  come,  but  also  to  comfort  mourners  in  Zion,  and  to 
encourage  the  timid  and  self-diffident.  The  atoning 
blood  of  the  Redeemer,  that  only  sovereign  balsam, 
was  applied  to  their  recent  or  festering  wounds.  For 
while,  at  one  time,  when  he  thundered  the  terrors  of 
the  law,  the  heavens  seemed  to  gather  blackness,  and 
a  tempest  of  wrath  appeared  ready  to  be  hurled  on  the 
heads  of  the  guilty ;  at  other  times,  when  he  exhibited 
the  riches  of  the  grace  and  provisions  of  the  gospel, 
the  heavens  seemed  to  smile,  the  clouds  were  dispelled, 
and  the  sky  became  serene.  The  almighty  God  Avas 
shown  to  be  their  refuge,  and  underneath  were  the 
everlasting  arms.  Then  his  exhilarating  words  dropped 
upon  them  as  the  dew." 

The  preceding  full  length  portrait  is,  with  some 
slight  alterations  in  the  language,  from  the  pen  of  one 
well  qualified  to  judge  in  such  matters,  and  who,  by  a 
long  and  intimate  acquaintance,  had  the  best  oppor- 
tunities of  knowing  the  true  character  of  the  man 
which  he  undertakes  to  describe.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Fin- 
ley,  President  of  New  Jersey  College,  the  author  of 
the  foregoing  sketch,  was  himself  one  of  the  alumni  of 
the  Log  College.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  the 
cordial  friendship  which  he  had  long  cherished  for 
Gilbert  Tennent,  and  the  early  admiration  which  he 
felt  for  his  talents  and  virtues,  might  insensibly  lead 
him  to  give  rather  too  high  a  colouring  to  the  portrait- 
ure which  he  has  delineated.  One  thing  is  apparent 
to  all  who  attentively  consider  what  Dr.  Finley  has 
written,  that,  however  just  the  prominent  traits  may 
be,  the  shading  which  more  or  less  belongs  to  every 
human  character  is  wanting.  Undoubtedly,  Gilbert 
Tennent  had  his  imperfections,  and  they  were  some- 
times sufficiently  visible.  But,  on  the  whole,  it  must 
be  confessed,  that  he  was  a  very  eminent  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  was  made  the  instrument  of  perform- 
ing a  great  work  in  his  day.  His  memory  ought  to 
be  precious  in  the  Presbyterian  chui'ch.  Dr.  Finley 
says,  "  that  the  seals  of  his  ministry  in  New  Bruns- 


THE   KEV.    GILDEKT   TENNENT.  31 

^Yic•k  atul  parts  adjacent,  where  he  first  exercised  his 
ministry,  were  numerous.  Many  have  I  known,  in 
those  and  other  parts  where  he  only  preached  occa- 
sionally, whose  piety,  was  unquestioned,  who  owned 
him  for  their  spiritual  father;  and  many  have  I  heard 
of  in  diftcrent  places*." 

Thouf;h  Dr.  Finley's  description  of  the  character  of 
Gilbert  Tennent  is  full,  it  will  be  satisfactory  to  have 
the  testimony  of  some  other  distinguished  persons  re- 
specting him.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Prince,  a  pious  and 
learned  minister  of  Boston,  speaks  of  Mr.  Tennent  in 
the  following  terms  :  "  In  private  conversation  I  found 
him  to  be  a  man  of  considerable  parts  and  learning, 
free,  gentle,  and  condescending.  From  his  own 
various  experience,  his  reading  the  most  eminent 
writers  on  experimental  divinity,  as  well  as  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  from  his  conversing  with  many  who  had 
been  awakened  by  his  ministry  in  Ncav  Jersey,  he 
seemed  to  have  as  deep  an  acquaintance  with  the  ex- 
perimental part  of  religion  as  any  I  have  conversed 
with.  And  his  preaching  Avas  as  searching  and  rousing 
as  ever  I  heard."  "He  seemed  to  have  such  a  lively 
vicAv  of  the  divine  Majesty — of  the  spirituality,  purity, 
cxtensiveness,  and  strictness  of  the  law,  with  his  glori- 
ous holiness,  and  displeasure  at  sin  ;  his.  justice,  truth, 
and  power  in  punishing  the  damned,  that  the  vei"y 
terrors  of  God  seemed  to  rise  in  his  mind  afresh,  when 
he  displayed  and  brandished  them  in  the  eyes  of  um-e- 
conciled  sinners."  And  the  same  writer  speaks  of  his 
remarkable  discrimination  and  skill  in  detecting  hypo-  *^ 
crites,  "  and  laying  open  their  many  vain  and  secret 
refuges,  counterfeit  resemblances,  their  delusive  hopes, 
their  utter  impotence,  and  impending  danger  of  de- 
struction." 

It  will  be  gratifying  to  learn  what  Mr.  Whitefield's  ■^ 
opinion  was  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir.     And  this 
we  have  given  very  freely  and  fully,  in  his  Journal,  to 
which  reference  has  already  been  made.     "Nov.  lo, 
[1739.]     Left  Trenton  about  six  in  the  morning,  had 


32  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

a  sweet  and  pleasant  journey,  and  reached  Brunswick, 
about  thirty  miles  distant,  about  one  o'clock.  Here 
we  were  much  refreshed  with  the  company  of  Mr.  Gil- 
bert Tennent,  an  eminent  disscntinc^  minister,  about 
forty  years  of  age,  son  to  that  good  old  man  who  came 
to  see  me  on  Saturday,  at  Philadelphia.  God,  I  find, 
has  been  pleased  greatly  to  bless  his  labours.  He  and 
his  associates  are  now  the  burning  and  shining  lights  of 
this  part  of  America.  He  recounted  to  me  many  re- 
markable effusions  of  the  blessed  Spirit,  which  have 
been  sent  down  among  them.  And  one  may  judge  of 
their  being  true  and  faithful  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ, 
because  they  are  every  where  spoken  evil  of,  by  natural 
men.  The  devil  and  carnal  ministers  rage  horribly 
against  them.  Several  pious  souls  came  to  see  me  at 
his  house,  with  whom  I  took  sweet  counsel.''  "  Wed- 
nesday, Nov.  14.  Set  out  early  from  Brunswick,  with 
my  dear  fellow-travellers,  and  my  worthy  brother  and 
fellow-labourer,  Mr.  Tennent.  As  we  passed  along, 
we  spent  our  time  most  agreeably  in  telling  what  God 
had  done  for  our  souls." 

Upon  their  arrival  at  New  York,  Mr.  Whitefield  goes 
on  to  say,  "  I  Avcnt  to  the  meeting  house  to  hear  Mr. 
Gilbert  Tennent  preach,  and  never  before  heard  I  such 
a  searching  sermon.  He  went  to  the  bottom,  indeed, 
and  did  not  daub  with  untempered  mortar.  He  con- 
vinced me  more  and  more,  that  we  can  preach  the 
gospel  of  Christ  no  further  than  we  have  experienced 
the  power  of  it  in  our  own  hearts.  Being  deeply  con- 
victed of  sin,  and  being  from  time  to  time  driven  from 
his  false  bottom  and  dependencies  by  God's  Holy  Spirit, 
at  his  first  conversion,  he  has  learned  experimentally 
to  dissect  the  heart  of  the  natural  man.  Hypocrites 
must  either  soon  be  converted  or  enraged  at  his  preach- 
ing. He  is  a  '  son  of  thunder,'  and  does  not  regard 
the  face  of  man.  He  is  deeply  sensible  of  the  dead- 
ness  and  formality  of  the  Christian  chui'ch,  in  these 
parts,  and  has  given  noble  testimonies  against  it." 

A  higher  testimony,  and  from  higher  authority  could 


THE   llEV.    (JILBEKT   TENNENT.  33 

not  bo  given,  upon  earth.  It  is  doubtful  Avhether  Mr. 
"NVhitefield  lias  ever  expressed  so  high  an  opinion  of 
any  other  preacher  of  any  denomination.  Indeed,  it 
is  probable,  that  he  never  met  with  a  man  of  a  more 
perfectly  congenial  spirit  with  his  own.  As  Mr.  White- 
field  was  doubtless  honoured  to  be  the  instrument  of 
tlie  conversion  of  more  souls  than  any  other  preacher 
of  his  age,  or  perhaps  of  any  age  since  that  of  the 
aposile  Paul ;  so  Mr.  Tenncnt,  among  orthodox 
preachers,  undoubtedly  deserves  to  be  placed  next  to 
him,  both  in  the  alnnidance  of  his  labours  and  the 
wonderful  success  which  attended  his  ministry. 

When  in  the  year  1740,  Mr.  Whitefield  returned 
from  Boston,  he  persuaded  and  urged  Mr.  Gilbert 
Tennent,  to  make  a  preaching  tour  through  New  Eng- 
land as  far  as  Boston,  to  water  the  good  seed  which 
he  had  there  sown  by  his  preaching  on  his  late  visit. 
At  that  time,  there  was  but  little  intercourse  between 
the  middle  and  eastern  colonies ;  and  no  ecclesiastical 
connection  between  the  Presbyterian  and  Congrega- 
tional churches.  Mr.  Whitefield's  preaching,  attended 
by  the  mighty  power  of  God,  not  only  was  the  means 
of  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  many  of  his  hearers ; 
but  he  also  excited  a  host  of  enemies,  who  pursued  him 
with  unrelenting  hostility ;  and  among  his  opposcrs 
were  reckoned,  both  in  this  country  and  in  Great  Bri- 
tain, the  majority  of  the  clergy  and  of  professors  of 
religion.  Thus  verifying  the  words  of  our  Lord,  "  If 
they  have  persecuted  me,  they  will  also  persecute  you ; 
if  they  have  kept  my  sayings  they  will  keep  yours 
also."  Mr.  Tennent  must  have  been  inflamed  with  a 
very  ardent  zeal,  situated  as  he  was,  the  pastor  of  a 
church,  and  the  father  of  a  family,  to  set  oft"  in  the 
depth  of  winter  to  preach  to  a  strange  people,  among 
whom  he  probably  had  not  a  single  acquaintance,  either 
among  the  clergy  or  the  laity.  But  invincible  resolu- 
tion was  a  prominent  trait  in  his  character.  Mr. 
Whitefield  made  no  journeys  without  several  attendants ; 
men  who  cheerfully  ministered  unto  him,  as  did  Timo- 


34  T  II  ELOG     COLLEGE. 

thy,  and  Lukx3,  and  Silas,  and  Mark,  and  others,  to 
Paul.  But  Mr.  Tenncnt  appears  to  have  gone  on  this 
self-denymg  and  evangelical  tour  alone.  He  -was  in- 
fluenced by  no  curiosity  to  see  a  country  not  before 
visited ;  nor  could  he  have  had  any  secular  motive  to 
induce  him  to  perform  so  laborious  a  service  as  that  in 
which  he  now  engaged. 

As  Mr.  Whitefield's  preaching  had  enkindled  a  con- 
siderable flame  in  Boston,  Mr.  Tennent  directed  his 
coiu-se  immediately  to  that  city,  where  he  arrived  on 
the  13th  of  December,  1740;  and  here  he  continued 
for  nearly  three  months,  preaching  almost  every  day, 
with  extraordinary  power  and  success.  There  were, 
however,  there,  many  Avho  were  ready  to  welcome  him ; 
and  several  of  the  excellent  ministers  of  the  town  cor- 
dially received  this  zealous  preacher,  and  opened  their 
pulpits — and,  indeed,  some  of  them  gave  them  up  to 
him,  while  he  continued  in  the  place.  Among  those 
who  received  him  joyfully  was  the  Rev.  INIr.  Prince, 
the  author  of  "  The  Christian  History,"  from  whose 
pen  we  are  favoured  with  an  account  of  Mr.  Tennent's 
manner  of  preaching,  during  his  ministry  in  Boston. 
"It  was,"  says  he,  "both  terrible  and  searching.  It 
was  for  matter,  justly  terrible,  as  he,  according  to  the 
inspired  oracles,  exhibited  the  dreadful  holiness,  jus- 
tice, law-threatenings,  truth,  poAver,  and  majesty  of 
God,  and  his  anger  with  rebellious,  impenitent,  and 
Christless  sinners :  {lie  awful  danger  they  w^ere  in 
every  moment  of  being  struck  down  to  hell,  and  damned 
forever,  Avith  the  amazing  miseries  of  that  place  of  tor- 
ment. By  his  arousing  and  scriptural  preaching,  deep 
and  pungent  convictions  were  wrought  in  the  minds  of 
many  hundreds  of  persons  in  that  town ;  and  the  same 
effect  was  produced  in  several  scores,  in  the  neighbour- 
ing congregations.  And  now  was  such  a  time  as  we 
never  kncAv.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Cooper  was  wont  to  say, 
that  more  came  to  him  in  one  week,  in  deep  concern, 
than  in  the  whole  twenty-four  years  of  his  preceding 
ministry.     I  can  say  also  the  same,  as  to  the  numbers 


THE    REV.     GILBERT    TENNENT.  35 

■\vlio  repaired  to  me."  "By  a  letter  of  Mr.  Cooper, 
cue  of  the  evangelical  ministers  of  Boston,  to  a  friend 
in  Scotland,  it  appears  he  had  had  about  six  hundred 
different  persons  to  visit  him  on  the  concerns  of  their 
souls,  in  three  months'  time.  And  Mr.  Webb,  another 
of  the  pious  Boston  ministers,  informs  me,  he  has  had, 
in  the  same  space,  above  a  thousand." 

But  it  >vill  be  satisfactory  to  hear  Mr.  Tennent's 
own  account  of  this  visit,  which  is  found  in  a  letter 
addressed  to  Mr.  Whitefield,  by  whose  urgent  entreaty 
he  was  persuaded  to  undertake  the  journey.  This 
letter  has  been  preserved  in  that  excellent  book,  "  Gil- 
lies' Historical  Collections,''  of  which  Ave  are  glad  to 
learn  a  new  edition  has  been  recently  published  in 
Scotland. 

"  Very  dear  brother, — In  my  return  home,  I  have 
been  preaching  daily ;  ordinarily,  three  times  a  day, 
and  sometimes  oftener :  and  through  pure  grace,  I  have 
met  with  success  much  exceeding  my  expectations.  In 
the  town  of  Boston  there  were  many  hundreds,  if  not 
thousands,  as  some  have  judged,  under  soul-concern. 
"When  I  left  the  place,  many  cliildren  were  deeply  af- 
fected about  their  souls,  and  several  had  received  con- 
solation. Some  aged  persons  in  church  communion, 
and  some  open  opposers  were  convinced.  Divers  of 
young  and  middle  aged  were  converted,  and  several 
negroes.  The  concern  was  rather  more  general  at 
Charlestown.  Multitudes  were  awakened,  and  several 
had  received  great  consolation ;  esijccially  among 
the  young  people,  children,  and  negroes.  In  Cam- 
bridge, also,  in  the  town  and  in  the  college,  the  shaking 
among  the  dry  bones  was  general,  and  several  of  the 
students  have  received  consolation."  He  then  proceeds 
to  name  more  than  twenty  towns  to  which  the  revival 
had  extended  ;  and  in  most  of  Avhich  he  had  preached 
on  his  return  home.  "  In  New  Haven,"  says  he,  "the 
concern  was  general,  both  in  the  college  and  in  the 
town.  About  thirty  students  came  on  foot,  ten  miles, 
to  hear  the  word  of  God.     And  at  Milford,  the  conceru 


36  THE   LOG    COLLEGE. 

vas  general.  I  believe,  by  a  moderate  calculation, 
'^  divers  thousands  have  been  awakened.  Glory  to  God 
on  high !  I  thank  you,  sir,  that  you  did  excite  me  to 
this  journey.  I  have  had  good  information,  that  on 
Long  Island,  God  has  blessed  my  poor  labours  on  my 
passage  to  New  England.  The  work  of  God  spreads 
more  and  more.  My  brother  "William  has  had  remarkable 
success  this  winter  at  Burlington.  Mr.  John  Cross  has 
had  remarkable  success  at  Staten  Island ;  and  manv, 
I  hear,  have  been  awakened  by  the  labours  of  Mr. 
Robinson,  in  Kew  York  government.  Mr.  Mills  has 
had  remarkable  success  in  Connecticut,  particularly 
at  New  Haven.  And  I  hear  that  Mr.  Blair  has  had 
remarkable  success  in  Pennsyh^ania." 

On  the  subject  of  this  great  rexdval,  which  extended 
from  Massachusetts  to  Georgia,  the  ministers  of  the 
Synod  were  greatly  divided.  For  wliile  some  approved 
the  work,  and  were  principal  instruments  in  promoting 
it,  a  majority  considered  it  an  ebullition  of  enthusiasm 
which  tended  neither  to  the  glory  of  God,  nor  to  the 
real  benefit  of  immortal  souls';  and  concerning  Mr. 
Whitefield  and  his  preaching,  there  was  an  entire  dis- 
sension. This  difi'erence,  relating  to  the  great  and 
vital  interests  of  religion,  produced  exasperation.  The 
friends  of  the  re^dval  considered  all  who  opposed  it  as 
setting  themselves  in  opposition  to  a  glorious  work  of 
God's  grace,  and  they  could  not  but  view  all  who  openly 
spoke  against  the  revival,  or  opposed  it  in  any  way,  to 
u/  be  the  enemies  of  God.  Hence,  they  too  hastily  took 
up  the  opinion  that  all  those  ministers  Avho  disapproved 
the  work  were  unconverted  men ;  that  they  were  mere 
formalists,  and  kncAV  nothing  of  the  vital  power  of  re- 
ligion, but  trusted  to  a  mere  profession  of  orthodoxy, 
and  that  if  in  words  they  did  not  deny  the  truths  of 
God,  they  did  in  fact :  and  though  they  might  acknow- 
ledge the  truth  in  theory,  it  was  with  them  a  "  dead 
orthodoxy,"  which  they  held  in  unrighteousness.  On 
y/  the  other  hand,  the  opposers  of  the  re\'ival  blamed  the 
kind  of  preaching  which  the  revivalists  adopted ;  espe- 


THE   REV.    GILBERT   TENNENT.  37 

cially  the  dwelling  so  much  on  the  terrors  of  the  law, 
and  the  torments  of  the  damned.  They  charged  the 
leaders  in  the  revival  with  encouraging  enthusiastic 
raptures,  and  making  religion  to  consist  too  much  in 
strong  emotion  and  violent  excitement,  attended  often 
with  bodily  affections.  They  were  also  greatly  offended 
with  the  harsh,  uncharitable  spirit  with  wliich  they 
were  denounced  and  misrepresented  by  the  preachers 
on  the  other  side ;  and  their  opposition  to  no  one,  unless 
Mr.  Whitefield  be  an  exception,  was  greater  than  to 
Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent.  Indeed,  all  must  acknowledge, 
that  among  the  friends  and  promoters  of  the  revival 
he  stood  pre-eminent ;  and  in  the  harshness  of  his  cen- 
sures, and  the  severity  of  his  denunciation,  he  went 
far  before  all  his  brethren.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that 
before  the  commencement  of  this  extraordinary  revival 
of  religion,  the  Presbyterian  church  in  America,  was  in 
a  most  deplorable  state  of  deadness  and  formality ;  and 
that  the  necessity  of  a  change  of  heart  was  very  little  in- 
culcated from  the  pulpit,  or  understood  by  the  people. 
Here  it  may  be  remarked,  that  the  founder  of  the  Log 
College  and  all  the  pupils  of  that  school  were  warm 
friends  of  the  revival,  and  exerted  themselves  with  all 

/eir  might  to  promote  the  good  work. 
In  all  great  revivals,  where  the  people  are  under 
strong  excitement,  there  Avill  be  some  things  which  the 
judicious  must  regret ;  and,  no  doubt,  there  were  many 
such  things  in  this  great  and  extensive  awakening  ;  but 
it  was  a  dangerous  mistake  to  repudiate  the  whole  work 
on  account  of  some  irregularities. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent's  contest  with  the  Synod — Severity  of  his  censures — 
New  Brunswick  Presbytery  protest  against  the  Syuod's  act — Violate 
it— Are  excluded  irregularly  from  the  Synod — Form  a  separate  body — 
Judgment  of  their  conduct. 

AYe  come  now  to  a  period  of  Gilbert  Tennent's  life, 
in  which  he  was  called  to  act  a  very  conspicuous  part 
in  the  affairs  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  A  great 
schivsm  took  place  in  the  Synod,  in  bringing  about 
which,  it  must  be  admitted,  he  had  his  full  share.  It 
took  place,  indeed,  by  the  expulsion  of  himself,  and 
the  other  members  of  the  New  Brunswick  Presbytery, 
from  the  Synod;  but  he  had  provoked  his  oj^ponents 
by  one  of  the  most  severely  abusive  sermons  which 
was  ever  penned,  called  "  The  Nottingham  Sermon," 
because  it  was  preached  at  that  place.  In  the  pro- 
tests which  he  and  Mr.  Samuel  Blair  presented  to  the 
Synod,  in  1740,  the  majority  of  the  members  of  the 
Synod  were  exhibited  in  a  very  unenviable-  light.  Mr. 
Gilbert  Tennent  felt  himself  called  in  providence  to 
attempt  to  arouse  the  Presbyterian  church  from  its 
profound  sleep  of  carnal  security,  and  to  bring  about 
a  reformation  in  the  body;  but  the  majority  of  the 
clergy  were  opposed  to  his  measures,  and  disparaged 
what  had  already  been  done.  He  seems,  therefore,  to 
have  considered  them  as  the  enemies  of  the  spiritual 
kingdom  of  Christ ;  and  that  it  was  his  duty,  in  imita- 
tion of  Christ  and  the  ancient  prophets,  in  the  plainest 
and  most  solemn  manner,  to  denounce  and  expose  theii' 
hypocrisy,  as  did  our  Lord  that  of  the  Pharisees.  But 
here  he  made  a  grand  mistake.  He  could  not  read 
the  hearts  of  his  opponents,  and,  therefore,  had  no 
(38) 


THE    REV.    GILBERT TENNENT.  39 

autliovlty  to  pronounce  a  sentence  of  condemnation  on 
tlu'in.  lie  should  have  rcmoniboivd  that  precept  of 
our  Lord,  "Judge  not  tliat  ye  be  not  judged."  A 
difference  of  opinion  from  him  respecting  the  true  na- 
ture of  the  revival,  and  concerning  Mr.  Whitofield's 
character,  furnished  no  sufficient  ground  for  him  to 
censure  and  denounce  them  as  he  did;  and,  especially, 
as  a  part  of  them,  at  least,  were  excellent  men,  and 
sound  and  judicious  theologians.  They  were  not  the 
enemies  of  vital  godliness,  but  were  opposed  to  what 
they  apprehended  to  be  spurious  religion.  We  may 
now  see  that  they  erred  in  their  judgment,  and  pur- 
sued a  course  which  was  very  injurious  to  the  people 
under  their  care ;  and  that  they  committed  a  great 
fault  in  opposing  a  glorious  work  of  God  on  account 
of  some  irregularities  which  accompanied  it.  One  of 
the  greatest  causes  of  complaint  against  Mr.  Gilbert 
Tennent  and  his  "  New-light "  brethren  was,  that  in 
violation  of  order  and  propriety,  they  passed  beyond 
the  bounds  of  their  own  Presbytery,  and  intruded  into 
congregations  under  the  care  of  other  ministers.  This 
these  brethren  attempted  to  justify  by  the  sound 
maxim,  employed  by  the  apostles,  when  forbidden  to 
preach  by  the  Jewish  rulers,  "  that  we  should  obey 
God  rather  than  men."  But  it  may  well  be  doubted, 
whether,  in  the  circumstances  in  which  they  were 
placed,  the  maxim  was  applicable.  The  ministers  into 
whose  congregations  they  intruded,  belonged  to  the 
same  Synod  with  themselves,  and  had  as  good  a  right 
to  judge  what  was  right  and  expedient,  as  the  "  New 
Side ''  ministers. 

We  think,  therefore,  that  Mr.  Tennent  was  much 
to  be  blamed  for  the  course  which  he  pursued  in  this 
controversy  with  the  Synod ;  especially,  in  the  harsh- 
ness, censoriousness,  and  bitterness  which  he  mani- 
fested towards  them;  particularly,  in  the  sermon  before 
mentioned ;  and  that  his  course  can  by  no  means  be 
justified.  He  iloes,  indeed,  appear  in  a  very  unamiable 
light,  and  as  exceedingly  deficient  in  the  meekness  and 


40  TnELOGCOLLEGE. 

charity  of  the  gospel,  in  this  whole  controversy.  lie, 
doubtless,  believed. that  he  was  doing  God  service,  and 
that  duty  required  him  to  pursue  the  course  and  mani- 
fest the  spirit  which  he  did.  After  the  separation  had 
taken  place,  and  the  heat  of  the  controversy  had 
cooled,  he  seems  to  have  been  sensible  that  he  had  not 
done  justice  to  the  majority  of  the  Synod;  for  he 
wrote  and  published  a  large  pamphlet  called  "  The 
Pacificator,"  in  which  he  strongly  pleads  for  peace, 
and  a  re-union  of  the  separated  parts  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  This  desirable  event  was,  after  a 
division  which  lasted  seventeen  years,  and  after  long 
negotiation,  accomplished;  and  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent 
entered  cordially  into  the  measure.  "Whatever  mis- 
takes he  fell  into  arose  from  error  of  judgment,  in 
regard  to  duty.  He  was,  doubtless,  actuated  by  a 
sincere  and  glowing  zeal  for  the  honour  of  the  Re- 
deemer, and  the  salvation  of  souls.  Like  the  sun,  he 
was  a  burning  and  a  shining  light ;  but  like  that  lumi- 
nary, had  some  dark  spots,  which,  in  some  measure, 
marred  the  beauty  and  symmetry  of  his  otherwise 
estimable  character.  His  natural  disposition  appears 
to  have  been  severe  and  uncompromising;  and  he 
gave  strong  evidence  of  being  very  tenacious  of  all 
his  opinions;  and  not  very  tolerant  of  those  who  dis- 
sented from  his  views,  as  appears  by  the  controversy 
which  he  had  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cowell,  of  Trenton, 
and  which  ho  brought  before  the  Synod.  But  with 
all  his  faults  he  was  an  extraordinary  man,  raised  up 
by  Providence  to  accomplish  a  great  work.  We,  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  are  more  indebted  to  the 
men  of  the  Log  College  for  our  evangelical  views,  and 
for  our  revivals  of  religion,  than  we  are  aware  of.  By 
their  exertions,  and  the  blessing  of  God  on  their  preach- 
ing, a  new  spirit  was  infused  into  the  Presbyterian 
body ;  and  their  views  and  sentiments  respecting  ex- 
perimental religion,  have  prevailed  more  and  more; 
until  at  last  opposition  to  genuine  revivals  of  religion 
is  almost  unknown  in  our  church.     It  is  not  my  pur- 


THE    REV.     GILBERT    TENNENT.  41 

pose  to  enter  into  tlic  ecclesiastical  transactions  in 
■which  Mr.  Tcnncnt  acted  an  important  part,  any  fur- 
ther than  is  necessary  to  form  a  judgment  of  his  Chris- 
tian and  ministerial  character.  Tlicy  who  desire  to 
see  a  lucid  view  of  the  ecclesiastical  transactions  of 
that  period,  are  referred  to  Dr.  Hodge's  "Constitu- 
tional History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church;"  or  they 
may  go  to  the  fountain  head,  by  consulting  the  "  Re- 
cords of  the  Transactions  of  the  Synod,"  recently 
given  to  the  public  by  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Pub- 
lication. 

We  have  seen  that  a  great  schism  was  produced  in 
the  Presbyterian  body,  by  a  difference  of  opinion 
among  the  ministers  of  the  Synod,  respecting  the 
great  revival  which  pervaded  many  of  the  churches. 
But  though  this  was  the  pi-oximate  cause  of  the  divi- 
sion, by  those  who  attentively  consider  the  history  of 
that  time,  and  especially  the  "Records"  of  the  Synod 
itself,  it  will  be  seen  that  this  event  Avas  actually  pro- 
duced by  the  Log  College.  At  first  view,  this  will 
seem  very  improbable,  but  when  all  the  documents  are 
read,  and  all  the  circumstances  of  the  church  weighed 
and  compared,  it  will  appear  exceedingly  probable 
that  the  erection  of  this  school  of  the  prophets  was, 
innocently,  the  cause  of  the  breach  which  took  place 
in  1741.  Here  it  will  be  necessary  to  enter  somewhat 
minutely  into  a  consideration  of  the  condition  of  the 
church  prior  to  the  commencement  of  the  revival.  A 
liberal  education  was,  from  the  beginning,  considered 
an  indispensable  qualification  for  the  gospel  ministry 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  usual  evidence  of 
having  received  such  an  education  was  a  diploma  from 
some  college  or  university,  in  Europe  or  America. 
The  Presbyterian  ministers,  before  the  erection  of  the 
Log  College,  had,  nearly  all,  received  such  an  educa- 
tion. We  know  of  but  one  exception,  and  that  was 
Mr.  Evans,  whose  case  has  already  been  mentioned. 
There  existed  no  college  in  any  of  the  middle  states 
■where  young  men  seeking  the  ministry,  could  obtain 


42  TIIELOGCOLLEGE. 

the  requisite  learning.  Until  this  school  was  insti- 
tuted, no  young  man  could  enter  the  Presbyterian 
ministry,  without  going  to  Scotland  or  NeAV  England 
for  his  education ;  and  this  amounted  pretty  nearly  to 
closing  the  door  against  all  candidates  Avho  were 
brought  up  in  the  Presbyterian  Church ;  for  very  few 
•  in  those  days  could  bear  the  expense  of  acquiring  a 
liberal  education,  by  going  to  any  college  or  university 
on  this  or  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  The  church, 
therefore,  had  to  depend  for  a  supply  of  ministers  on 
emigration  from  Scotland,  Ireland,  or  New  England. 
Most  of  those  who  came  to  settle  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  came  from  Ireland ;  except  that  those  Pres- 
byteries which  bordered  on  New  England,  received 
a  supply  of  ministers  from  that  region.  It  must  be 
evident  at  once,  that  this  condition  of  the  church  was 
very  unfavourable  to  her  prosperity  ;  for  often,  those 
who  came  across  the  ocean,  were  not  men  of  the  best 
character.  They  were  often  mere  adventurers,  and 
sometimes  had  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  escape  from  the 
censure  incurred  by  their  misconduct ;  and  it  was  ex- 
ceedingly difficult  in  those  days,  to  ascertain  the  true 
character  of  a  foreigner  coming  here  as  a  minister  of 
the  gospel ;  for  though  such  men  commonly  exhibited 
ample  testimonials  from  abroad,  too  often  those  Avere 
forged.  Several  instances  of  this  very  thing  occurred. 
As  the  ministers  who  came  in  from  New  England  were 
all  brought  up  Congregationalists,  and  had  habits  and 
customs  not  congenial  with  those  of  the  Scottish  Pres- 
byterians, their  accession  to  the  body  had  a  tendency 
to  produce  confusion  and  strife.  The  sons  of  the  pil- 
grims and  the  descendants  of  Scottish  Presbyterians, 
though  holding  substantially  the  same  creed,  have 
never  readily  amalgamated  into  one  uniform  mass,  but 
the  habits  and  prejudices  of  each  have  been  preserved, 
and  kept  the  people  distinct  for  several  generations, 
though  living  contiguously  to  each  other.  There 
seemed,  therefore,  to  be  an  urgent  necessity  for  some 
seminary  to  be  erected  within  the  limits  of  the  Pres- 


THE    REV.     GILBERT    T  E  N  N  E  N  T.  43 

byterian  Church,  where  young  men  might  be  educated 
for  the  ministry.  It  is  indeed  wonderful  that  the 
Synod  had  not  paid  earlier  attention  to  this  subject, 
as  being  essential  to  the  prosperity  of  the  church. 
But  as  far  as  appears,  no  classical  school  had  bceii 
erected  in  any  part  of  the  Synod,  until  the  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Tennent  connected  himself  with  the  Presbyterian  • 
Church,  and  set  up  a  school  at  his  own  door,  in  Ne- 
shaminy.  It  is  probaljlc  that  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent  was 
the  first  candidate  licensed  in  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
who  was  educated  Avithin  its  limits.  As  he  was  thir- 
teen or  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  his-  father  arrived, 
it  is  probable  that  his  classical  education  was  com- 
menced before  he  left  Ireland ;  though  the  principal 
part  of  his  education  must  have  been  acquired  here ; 
and  no  doubt,  under  the  paternal  roof.  Although  we 
have  connected  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent  with  the  Log  Col- 
lege, it  must  be  in  the  character  of  a  teacher,  rather 
than  a  student;  for  in  the  very  year  in  which  his 
father  removed  to  Neshaminy,  he  was  licensed  to 
preach.     This  was  the  year  1726. 

Though  Gilbert  Tennent  had  received  no  diploma 
from  any  college,  yet  he  passed  his  trials  before  the 
mother  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  with  great  credit 
to  himself,  and  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Presby- 
tery. It  was  now  seen  that  young  men  could  be  well 
prepared  for  the  ministry  at  home,  without  going  to 
distant  colleges.  As  Mr.  William  Tennent,  the  father, 
had  been,  as  far  as  is  known,  the  sole  instructor  of  his 
son,  who  as  soon  as  licensed,  attracted  public  atten- 
tion, and  was  seen  to  be  an  able  preacher,  the  conclu- 
sion was  easily  drawn,  that  he  would  be  an  excellent 
person  to  train  up  young  men  for  the  ministry.  But  ^ 
though  the  thing  appeared  thus  to  many  plain  and 
pious  people,  others  were  apprehensive,  that  by  edu- 
cating young  men  in  this  way,  the  literary  qualifications 
of  candidates  would  necessarily  be  greatly  diminished. 
The  school,  however,  went  on  prosperously,  and  a 
number  of  young  men  who  had  the  ministry  in  view, 


44  T  II  E    L  0  G     C  0  L  L  E  G  E. 

resorted  to  the  Log  College  to  pursue  their  education ; 
and  here,  they  were  not  only  taught  the  classics,  but 
studied  divinity  also ;  so  that  this  institution  was  a 
theological  seminary,  as  well  as  a  college.  How  many 
years  they  were  occupied  with  these  studies  does  not 
appear;  but  a  number  of  persons  educated  in  this 
school  were  licensed  by  the  Presbyteries,  after  under- 
going such  trials  as  were  usually  prescribed  to  candi- 
dates in  Scotland  and  Ireland.  Some  of  them,  as  Ave 
shall  see,  became  eminent  in  the  church,  and  were 
much  distinguished  as  powerful  and  evangelical  preach- 
ers. Still  the  impression  existed,  and  grew  stronger, 
that  this  course  of  instruction  was  not  sufficient.  To 
men  educated  in  the  universities  of  Europe,  furnished 
with  so  many  professors,  and  other  advantages,  it 
seemed  preposterous  to  suppose  that  a  man  could 
acquire  adequate  learning  for  the  ministry  in  this  little 
paltry  log  cabin ;  and  instructed,  principally,  by  ojie 
teacher.  They  began,  therefore,  in  the  Synod,  to 
talk  of  establishing  a  Synodical  school,  and  to  express 
dissatisfaction  with  the  course  of  study  in  the  Log 
College,  as  it  was  contemptuously  called.  None 
doubted  of  old  Mr.  Tennent's  classical  scholarship  ; 
but  it  was  believed  that  his  proficiency  in  the  arts  and 
sciences  was  by  no  means  equal  to  his  classical  learn- 
ing. As  young  men  Avere  still  entering  the  church 
from  this  school,  the  Synod  adopted  a  rule,  that  no 
Presbytery  should  license  any  young  man  until  he  had 
passed  an  examination  on  his  literary  course  before  a 
committee  of  Synod.  Two  large  committees,  one  for 
the  northern  part  of  the  Synod,  and  the  other  for  the 
south,  were  appointed,  before  whom  young  men  were 
to  appear  and  submit  to  an  examination.  This  rule 
gave  great  dissatisfaction  to  the  Tennents  and  their 
friends ;  for  they  perceived,  at  once,  that  this  rule  was 
intended  to  bear  on  the  students  of  the  Log  College, 
and  they  believed  it  to  be  a  high-handed  measm-e, 
entirely  inconsistent  with  the  rights  of  Presbyteries, 
who,  as  they  had  the  power  of  ordaining  ministers, 


THE    REV.     CilLBERT    TENNENT.  4o 

oucrht  to  possess  the  power  of  judging  of  their  qualifi- 
caSons.     What  rendered  the  measure  more  odious  to 
them,  they  had  just  succeeded  in  getting  a  Presbytery 
set  off,  in  New  Jersey,  which  included  most  of  the 
friends  of  the  Log  College.     Their  object  in  getting 
this  Presbytery  erected,   as   they  confessed   to    Mr. 
Whitefield,  was,  that  they  might  license  such  young 
men  as  they  deemed  properly  qualified  for  the  oflice ; 
and,  in  their  opinion,  fervent  piety  was  the  first  and 
principal  qualification.    Though  they  believed  a  classical 
education  necessary,  yet  it  seems    that  they  lightly 
esteemed  some  parts  of  learning,  which  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  Synod  thought  requisite.    While  they  were 
blamed  for  being  too  lax  in  their  demands  of  a  know- 
\c(\<re  of  literature  and  science,  they  seriously  charged 
the°majority  of  the  Synod  with  neglectmg  to  make  a 
thorou<^h  examination  into  the  piety  of  their  candi- 
dates. ^  On   several  occasions,  Mr.   Gilbert    Tenncnt 
brought  this  matter  before  the  Synod,  and  obtained 
from°them  some  formal  resolutions,  m  favour  of  in- 
quiring carefully  into  the  personal  piety  of  the  can- 
didates. 

When  the  order  was  passed,  rendering  it  necessary 
for  candidates  to  appear  before  a  committee  of  the 
Synod,  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent  and  his  friends  entered 
their  protest  against  the  regulation.  But  to  be  more 
exact  in  regard  to  this  first  measure,  which  divided  the 
Synod  into  two  parties,  it  will  be  proper  to  observe, 
that  the  regulation  adopted  in  the  year  1738,  was  oc- 
casioned by  an  overture  from  the  Presbytery  of  Lewes, 
in  which  they  say,  "  That  this  part  of  the  world,  where 
God  has  ordered  our  lot,  labours  under  grievous  dis- 
advantage for  want  of  the  opportunities  of  universities, 
and  professors  skilled  in  the  several  branches  of  useful 
learning;  and  that  many  students  from  Europe  are 
especiaUy  cramped  in  prosecuting  their  studies ;  then- 
parents  removing  to  these  colonies  before  they  have 
an  opportunity  of  attending  the  college,  after  having 
spent  some  years  at  the  grammar  school;  and  that 


46  TnELOGCOLLEGE. 

many  persons,  born  in  tliis  country,  groan  under  tlie 
same  pressure,  whose  circumstances  are  not  able  to 
support  them  to  spend  a  course  of  years  in  the  Eu- 
ropean or  New  Enghmd  colleges,  which  discourages 
much,  and  must  be  a  detriment  to  our  church,  for  we 
know  that  natural  parts,  however  great  and  promising, 
for  want  of  being  well  improved,  must  be  marred  in 
their  usefulness,  and  cannot  be  so  extensively  service- 
able to  the  public ;  and  that  want  paves  the  way  for 
ignorance,  and  this  for  a  formidable  train  of  sad  con- 
sequences. To  prevent  this  evil,  it  is  humbly  proposed, 
as  a  remedy,  that  every  student,  with  approbation  not 
pursuing  the  usual  courses,  in  some  of  the  New  En- 
gland or  European  colleges  approved  by  public  autho- 
rity, shall,  before  he  be  encouraged  by  any  Presbytery 
for  the  sacred  Avork  of  the  ministry,  apply  himself  to 
this  Synod,  and  that  they  appoint  a  committee  of  their 
members,  yearly,  whom  they  know  to  be  well  skilled 
in  the  several  branches  of  philosophy,  divinity,  and 
the  languages,  to  examine  such  students  in  this  place, 
and  finding  them  well  accomplished  in  these  several 
parts  of  learning,  shall  allow  them  a  public  testimony 
from  the  Synod,  which,  till  better  provision  be  made, 
will,  in  some  measure,  answer  the  design  of  taking  a 
degree  in  college.  And,  for  the  encouragement  of 
students,  let  this  be  done  without  putting  them  to  fui'- 
ther  expenses  than  attending.  And  let  it  be  an  objec- 
tion against  none  where  they  have  studied,  or  what 
books ;  but  let  all  encouragement  be  only  according  to 
merit,  &c."  The  Synod,  by  a  great  majority,  ap- 
proved the  overture,  and  proceeded  to  appoint  two 
committees,  the  one  for  the  region  north  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  the  other  for  the  country  south  of  that 
city. 

It  does  not  appear  that  any  dissent  or  protest  was 
entered  on  the  minutes  at  the  time,  but  the  next  year 
the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick  sent  up  a  remon- 
strance. The  paper  containing  the  objections  to  the 
act  of  the  Synod  of  the  preceding  yeai*  is  not  on  the 


THE    REV.    GILBERT    TENNENT.  47 

records ;  but  the  Synod,  upon  hearing  it,  agreed  to 
reconsider  the  subject,  and  after  due  deliberation, 
resolved  to  substitute  the  foHowing  instead  of  the  act 
complained  of.  "  It  being  tlie  first  article  in  our  ex- 
cellent Directory  for  the  examination  of  the  candidates 
for  the  sacred  ministry,  that  they  be  inquired  of  what 
degrees  they  have  taken  in  the  university,  &c.  And 
it  being  oftentimes  impracticable  for  us,  in  these  remote 
parts  of  the  earth,  to  obtain  an  answer  to  these  ques- 
tions of  those  Avho  propose  themselves  to  examination, 
many  of  our  candidates  not  having  enjoyed  the  advan- 
tage of  a  university  education,  and  it  being  our  desire 
to  come  to  the  nearest  conformity  to  the  incomparable 
prescriptions  of  the  Directory  that  our  circumstances 
will  admit  of,  and  after  long  deliberation  of  the  most 
proper  expedients  to  comply  with  the  intentions  of  the 
Directory,  where  we  cannot  exactly  fulfil  the  letter  of 
it :  the  Synod  agree  and  determine,  that  every  person 
who  proposes  himself  to  trial,  as  a  candidate  for  the 
ministry,  and  who  has  not  a  diploma,  or  the  usual  cer- 
tificate from  a  European  or  New  England  university, 
shall  be  examined  by  tbe  whole  Synod,  or  its  commis- 
sion, as  to  these  preparatory  studies,  which  we  gene- 
rally pass  through  at  the  college  ;  and  if  they  find  him 
qualified,  they  shall  give  him  a  certificate,  which  sluill 
he  received  by  our  respective  Presbyteries  as  equiva- 
lent to  a  diploma  or  certificate  from  the  college,  &c." 
But  this  form  of  the  act  was  no  more  acceptable  to  the 
New  Brunswick  Presbytery  than  the  former ;  the  next 
day,  therefore,  they  enteretl  a  protest  against  the  said 
act.  This  protest  was  signed  by  the  four  Tennents, 
Samuel  Blair,  and  Eleazar  Wales,  ministers,  and  by 
four  elders.  The  Synod,  it  appears,  were  determined 
to  bring  the  pupils  of  the  Log  College  under  their  own 
examination  before  they  would  suftor  any  more  of  them 
to  be  received  as  members  of  the  Synod,  or  to  preach 
as  candidates  in  the  churches.  The  friends  of  this 
institution  were  exceedingly  averse  to  having  their 
young  men  exammcd  by  the  Synod;  either,  because 


48  T  II  ELOO     COLLEGE. 

they  were  conscious  that  they  would  be  found  defective 
in  some  of  the  branches  usually  pursued  in  the  college 
course;  or,  because  they  were  of  opinion  that  the  major 
part  of  the  Synod  were  prejudiced  against  this  humble 
institution,  and  against  all  who  were  connected  with  it. 
Probably  both  these  considerations  had  their  weight  in 
leading  them  to  oppose  so  strenuously  a  measure  which 
to  us  seems  reasonable  and  necessary,  to  guard  the 
ministry  against  the  intrusion  of  unqualified  candidates. 
For  it  appears  that  this  examination  by  the  Synod 
was  not  intended  to  interfere  with  the  right  of  Pres- 
byteries to  examine  their  candidates,  but  to  be  a  sub- 
stitute for  a  dijjloma,  which  the  Directory  seemed  to 
require.  For  when  a  young  man  presented  his  certifi- 
cate to  a  Presbytery,  if,  upon  examination,  they  were 
not  satisfied,  they  could  reject  him  notwithstanding  his 
certificate. 

But  the  fact  was,  that  the  New  Brunswick  Presby- 
tery had  already  committed  themselves.  At  their  very 
first  meeting,  in  August,  1738,  they  took  on  trial  a 
certain  Mr.  Rowland,  one  of  the  scholars  of  the  Log 
Colle<]i;e,  in  direct  violation  of  the  act  of  the  Synod. 
After  the  Synod  had  reconsidered  the  matter,  and  re- 
enacted  the  same  thing,  in  difierent  words,  this  Pres- 
bytery proceeded  with  the  trials  of  JNIr.  Rowland, 
licensed  him  to  preach  the  gospel,  and,  not  long  after- 
wards, ordained  him.  The  Synod  refused  to  recognize 
Mr.  Rowland  as  a  member  of  their  body;  for,  though 
they  did  not  deny  that  by  the  act  of  the  Presbytery 
he  was  a  real  minister ;  yet,  they  alleged  that  they  had 
a  right  to  determine  who  should  and  who  should  not 
become  members  of  their  own  body.  Henceforth,  the 
parties  became  much  exasperated  against  each  other. 
The  friends  of  tlie  Log  College  saw  that  the  act  of  the 
Synotl  was  directed  against  that  institution,  for  there 
was  no  other  school  at  that  time  in  the  bounds  of  the 
Synod,  where  young  men  were  trained  for  the  minis- 
try. This  was  not  all.  The  act  implied  a  reflection 
on  all  those  who  had  before  entered  the  ministry  from 


THE    REV.    aiLBERT   TEXNENT.  49 

this  school.  The  majority  of  Synod  were  grievously 
ofiFended,  that  one  of  their  Presbyteries,  and  one  too 
just  created,  should  so  disregard  the  authority  of  the 
supreme  judicatory  of  the  church,  as  to  act  in  open 
defiance  of  an  act  formed  after  much  discussion  and 
deliberation  in  the  Synod. 

One  thing  necessary  to  be  known,  in  order  to  form 
an  impartial  judgment  respecting  the  dispute  which 
arose  in  the  Synod,  but  which  cannot  at  this  distance 
of  time  be  accurately  ascertained,  is,  what  sort  of  edu- 
cation was  actually  received  at  this  famous  institution. 
Was  it  as  solid  and  thorough  as  could  be  obtained 
within  the  limits  of  the  Presbyterian  church  ?  If  so, 
even  if  compared  with  that  which  was  given  in  the 
universities  of  Europe,  it  was  in  some  parts  defective, 
this  was  no  good  reason  why  the  institution  should  be 
froAvned  upon  by  the  Synod.  Instead  of  this,  they 
ought  to  have  recognized  and  cherished  it,  and  should 
have  endeavoured  to  raise  it  higher,  and  to  enlarge  its 
advantages.  As  far  as  we  have  observed,  this  scliool, 
although  already  it  had  produced  a  number  of  distin- 
guished preachers,  is  never  once  mentioned  in  the 
minutes  of  the  Synod  ;  except  in  their  letter  to  Presi- 
dent Clapp,  of  which  further  notice  will  be  taken.  It 
is  true,  that  most  of  the  members  of  Synod  had  en- 
joyed the  advantages  of  a  university  education  in 
Europe  or  New  England;  and  it  cannot  be  supposed'' 
that  equal  advantages  could  be  had  in  the  little  log 
cabin  at  Ncshaminy.  But  it  is  a  well  known  fact, 
that  men's  eminence  in  learning  does  not  always  cor- 
respond with  the  privileges  enjoyed.  If  we  compare 
Gilbert  Tennent,  Samuel  Blair,  Samuel  Finley,  Wil- 
liam Tennent,  jr.,  and  John  Blair,  with  an  equal  num- 
ber of  their  opposers,  they  cei-tainly  will  not  sufl'er  in 
public  opinion  by  the  comparison.  One  advantage 
which  they  possessed  who  were  educated  in  the  Log 
College,  was,  that  the  spirit  of  piety  seems  to  have  ^ 
been  nourished  in  that  institution  with  assiduous  care. 
All,  as  far  as  we  can  learn,  who  proceeded  from  this 
5 


60  T  II  ELOG     COLLEGE. 

school,  were  men  of  sound  orthodoxy,  evangelical 
spirit,  glowing  zeal,  and  in  labours  very  abundant. 
They  had,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  the  teaching  of 
the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  without  the  advantages  which 
others  enjoyed,  they  became  "burning  and  shining 
lights."  They  were  the  friends  and  promoters  of  revi- 
vals of  religion,  which  their  censurers  bitterly  opposed. 
Still,  we  do  not  justify  their  irregular  and  insubordi- 
nate acts.  Gilbert  Tennent  and  Samuel  Blair  were 
men  of  invincible  firmness — a  firmness  bordering  on 
obstinacy.  They  were  the  leaders  in  this  warfare. 
They  saw  a  great  harvest  before  them,  and  the  Lord 
seemed  to  attend  their  labours  everywhere  with  a 
blessing ;  and  they  were  led  to  think,  that  mere  forms 
of  order  and  regulations  of  ecclesiastical  bodies  were 
of  trivial  importance,  compared  with  the  advancement 
of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  and  the  salvation  of  souls. 
They  felt,  as  did  the  apostles  and  first  reformers,  that 
they  were  called  to  go  everywhere  preaching  the  gos- 
pel, without  regard  to  prescribed  limits  of  Presbyteries 
or  congregations ;  especially,  as  they  observed  that 
many  pastors  neglected  to  inculcate  on  their  hearers 
the  necessity  of  a  change  of  heart,  and  that  the  people 
were  as  really  perishing  for  lack  of  knowledge,  as  they 
were  under  Jewish  or  Popish  instructers.  They  felt 
themselves  bound,  therefore,  to  preach  far  and  wide, 
wherever  the  people  would  hear  them ;  and  although 
there  Avas  irregularity  in  this,  judging  by  human  and 
ecclesiastical  rules,  yet  I  doubt  not,  that  in  the  main 
their  zealous  and  exhausting  labours  have  met  with  a 
large  reward.  Weak  enthusiasts  or  fierce  fanatics 
may  abuse  the  principle  on  which  they  acted ;  but  the 
same  thing  occurred  at  the  time  of  the  blessed  Refor- 
mation from  popery.  We  must  not  neglect  to  do  all 
the  good  we  can,  because  some  may  pervert  our  exam- 
ple to  sanction  their  own  lawless  proceedings. 

I  cannot  express  how  much  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  these  United  States  is  indebted  to  the  labours  of 
this  very  corps,  who  studied  successfully  the  sacred 


THE    REV.    GILBERT    TENNENT.  51 

oracles  in  the  Log  College ;  or  more  probably,  under 
the  beautiful  groves  which  shaded  the  banks  of  the 
Neshaminy,  There  they  studied,  and  there  they 
prayed,  and  there  they  were  taught  of  God. 

But  I  do  not  mean  to  justify  all  that  was  done  by 
these  zealous  men.  As  was  admitted  before,  they  did 
not  act  towards  ■  their  brethren  in  the  ministry  with 
brotherly  affection,  and  Christian  meekness.  Gilbert 
Tennent  indulged  himself  in  very  unwarrantable  lan- 
guage in  speaking  of  men  clothed  with  the  same  office 
as  himself,  and  members  of  the  same  Synod.  Nothing 
could,  have  justified  his  treatment  of  them,  unless  he 
had  been  inspired  to  know  that  they  were  a  set  of 
hypocrites  ;  or,  unless  their  lives  had  been  wicked,  or 
their  faith  heretical,  none  of  which  things  were  alleged 
against  them. 

But  while  it  is  admitted  that  ]\Ir.  Gilbert  Tennent 
was  a  principal  instrument  in  provoking  a  majority  of 
the  Synod  to  exscind  the  New  Brunswick  Presbytery, 
it  does  not  appear  that  either  he  or  his  friends  wished 
to  bring  about  a  separation  in  the  church.  Their  ob- 
ject was  to  produce  a  reformation,  if  possible,  among 
the  ministers,  and  in  the  churches  under  the  care  of 
the  Synod ;  though  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  their 
zeal  led  them  to  make  use  of  unjustifiable  means  to 
accomplish  the  desired  end.  It  need  not,  therefore, 
be  a  matter  of  surprise  that  Gilbert  Tennent  was  among 
the  first  to  seek  a  reconciliation  and  re-union  of  the 
parties.  To  promote  this  object  he  wrote  and  pub- 
lished a  pamphlet,  as  was  before  said,  entitled,  "  The 
Pacificator,"  in  which  he  reasons  strongly  in  favour  of 
peace  and  union.  Between  the  contending  parties 
there  existed,  really,  no  difierence  on  doctrinal  points ; 
except  that  the  New  Side  were  blamed  for  dwelling  too 
much  on  the  terrors  of  the  law,  and  insisting  too 
strongly  on  the  necessity  of  legal  conviction  for  sin. 
On  church  government  there  was  scarcely  a  shade  of 
difference.  The  members  of  the  New  Brunswick  Pres- 
bytery were  disposed  to  consider  Presbyteries  as  the 


52  THELOaCOLLEGE. 

origin  of  ecclesiastical  power;  while  the  majority  of 
the  Synod  probably  thought  that  all  the  power  of  the 
church  was  concentrated  in  the  Synod,  then  the  su- 
preme judicatory.  The  same  difference  of  opinion  still 
exists  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  for  while  some  are 
of  opinion  that  Synods  and  General  Assemblies  pos- 
sess limited  powers,  defined  by  the  constitution  of  the 
church,  and  that  all  ecclesiastical  power  emanates 
from  the  Presbyteries,  which  they  consider  the  essential 
body  in  our  Church  government ;  there  are  others  who 
consider  the  Synod  in  no  other  light  than  a  larger 
Presbytery,  and  the  General  Assembly,  as  it  were,  a 
universal  Presbytery,  possessing  all  the  powers  of  the 
inferior  judicatories.  Whichever  of  these  be  the  more 
correct  theory  of  our  Presbyterian  Church  government, 
the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick  has  always  been  firm 
in  maintaining  the  rights  of  Presbyteries  against  the 
encroachments  of  the  higher  judicatories.  Certainly, 
our  higher  judicatories  were  constituted  by  the  junc- 
tion of  Presbyteries.  In  Scotland,  the  General  Assem- 
bly existed  before  there  were  either  Presbyteries  or 
Synods,  and  all  church  power  descended  from  that 
body;  but  not  so  with  us,  where  Presbyteries  first  ex- 
isted, of  which  the  higher  judicatories  were  formed. 
This  schism  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Amei'ica 
lasted  about  seventeen  years,  although  negotiations  for 
a  reconciliation  were  going  on  a  great  part  of  this  time, 
chiefly  by  the  members  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  York, 
who  Avcre  absent  from  the  meeting  of  Synod  at  which 
the  disruption  occurred. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Mr.  Gillicrt  Tcnnent  removes  to  Philadelphia  to  be  the  pastor  of  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Church — Mission  to  Great  Britain  for  the  College 
of  New  Jersey — Exertions  to  get  a  comraodiuus  church  crccli'd — 
His  Sickness  and  Death — Eulogy  on  his  character — Ills  Publications. 

The  preaching  of  Mr.  Whitefiekl,  in  Philadelphia, 
was  the  means  of  the  conversion  of  many  souls.  A 
number  of  these,  with  others  who  agreed  with  them 
in  sentiment,  and  were  admirers  of  Mr.  Whitefield's 
preaching,  and  friends  of  th&  revival,  had  formed  a 
new  Presbyterian  congregation  in  that  city.  Being 
desirous  to  obtain  a  pastor  of  like  views  and  senti- 
ments with  themselves,  and  one  possessed  of  talents 
and  eloquence  suited  to  such  a  station,  they  turned 
their  eyes  upon  the  Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent.  Their  call 
to  him  was  presented  in  May,  1743,  just  two  years 
after  the  rupture  of  the  Synod,  which  took  place  in 
the  same  city.  Mr.  Tennent  did  not  hesitate  to  accept 
tliis  call,  as  he  saw  that  the  sphere  of  his  influence 
would  be  greatly  enlarged.  He  was,  therefore,  regu- 
larly released  from  his  pastoral  charge  in  New  Bruns- 
wick, where  he  had  preached  for  sixteen  years.  In 
the  important  station  on  which  he  now  entered,  he 
continued  to  exercise  his  ministry  with  groat  fidelity 
and  diligence  for  twenty  years.  During  this  whole 
period,  comprehending  more  than  one  half  of  his 
ministerial  life,  he  seems  to  have  lived  in  peace  with 
all  men.  The  fiery  edge  of  his  zeal  had  worn  off,  and 
he  had  found  by  experience  that  neither  people  nor 
ministers  were  ever  rendered  better  by  vituperative 
attacks  from  the  pulpit  or  the  press.  During  the 
whole  of  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  Mr.  Gilbert  Ten- 
nent, as  far  as  has  come  to  our  knowledge,  never  had 
5*  (53) 


54  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

any  controversy  with  any  of  his  brethren,  but  seems 
to  have  conducted  himself  in  a  friendly  and  peaceable 
manner  toward  all  men.  From  this  it  Avould  seem  that 
he  was  not  of  a  quarrelsome  or  litigious  spirit.  It 
may  hence  be  fairly  inferred,  that  the  warm  contro- 
versies in  which  he  engaged  with  his  brethren  of  the 
Synod  of  Philadelphia,  were  entered  into  conscien- 
tiously and  on  principle.  We  have  no  doubt,  that  in 
this  whole  concern  he  was  at  the  time  fully  persuaded 
that  he  was  doing  God  service,  and  performing  a  pain- 
ful duty  toward  his  opposing  brethren,  which  he  could 
not  with  a  good  conscience  omit.  But  as  was  before 
said,  we  are  of  opinion  that  he  was  mistaken,  and  pro- 
ceeded on  an  erroneous  principle ;  and  there  is  good 
reason  to  think  that  he  was  of  the  same  opinion  him- 
self in  this  latter  part  of  his  life. 

The  only  interruption  of  his  pastoral  labours  in 
Philadelphia,  was  occasioned  by  a  mission  to  Great 
Britain,  in  conjunction  with  the  Rev.  Samuel  Davies, 
of  Virginia,  for  the  College  of  New  Jersey.  At  the 
request  of  the  Trustees  of  New  Jersey  College,  the 
Synod  of  New  York  appointed  these  two  gentlemen 
to  cross  the  Atlantic,  to  solicit  funds  for  the  College. 
The  mission  was,  in  a  good  degree,  successful ;  but 
of  this  our  only  account  is  found  in  the  diary  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Davies.  It  does  not  appear  that  Mr.  Ten- 
nent  ever  kept  any  journal  or  diary,  at  home  or 
abroad.  From  Mr.  Davies's  journal  we  learn  that  he 
and  Mr.  Tennent  went  on  board  a  vessel  bound  for 
London,  November  17,  1753,  and  on  the  next  day  set 
sail.  They  arrived  in  London  on  the  25th  of  Decem- 
ber, and  were  Avell  received.  We  arc  unable  to  give 
any  account  of  Mr.  Tennent's  preaching,  and  its  effects 
on  "the  people  whom  he  addressed,  for  he  and  Mr. 
Davies  seem  to  have  been  separated  from  each  other 
for  the  most  part.  But  in  regard  to  the  direct  object 
of  their  mission,  he  says,  under  date  of  April  7,  1754, 
"  We  have  had  most  surprising  success  in  our  mission; 
which,  notwithstanding  the  languor  of  my  nature,  I 


THE    REV.     (}  I  L  B  E  11  T    T  E  N  N  E  N  T.  55 

cannot  review  without  passionate  emotions.  From  the 
best  information  of  our  friends,  and  our  own  observa- 
tion on  our  arrival  here,  we  couhl  not  raise  our  hopes 
above  £300,  but  we  have  already  got  about  <£1200. 
Our  friends  in  America  cannot  hear  the  news  with  the 
same  surprise-,  as  they  do  not  know  the  difficulties  Ave 
have  had  to  encounter;  but  to  me  it  appears  the  most 
signal  interposition  of  Providence  I  ever  saAV." 

It  appears  from  the  journal  of  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Davies,  that  by  means  of  Mr.  Tenncnt's  "  Nottingliam 
Sermon,"  which  some  person  unfriendly  to  him  and 
his  mission  had  sent  over  to  England,  strong  prejudices 
had  been  excited  against  him  before  his  arrival ;  so 
that  he  was  rarely  invited  to  preach  in  the  dissenting 
pulpits  of  London.  And  it  is  probable  that  during  his 
whole  visit  to  Great  Britain  he  was  under  a  cloud, 
which  must  have  rendered  his  visit  unpleasant,  and  yet 
was  a  just  chastisement  for  preaching  and  publishing 
that  very  uncharitable  discourse. 

While  Mr.  Gilbert  Tcnnent  was  in  Great  Britain,  a 
friend  to  the  conversion  of  the  Indians  put  into  his 
hands  two  hundred  pounds  sterling,  to  be  made  use  of 
by  the  Synod  of  New  York,  in  sending  missionaries  to 
these  heathen  tribes.  This  seems  to  have  excited,  for 
a  time,  a  considerable  missionary  spirit  among  the 
ministers  in  connection  with  this  Synod.  Several  pas- 
tors, who  had  charges,  went  on  temporary  missions ; 
and  j\Ir.  John  Brainerd  devoted  himself  wholly  to  the 
work  among  the  tribes  who  resided  in  New  Jersey. 

John  Brainerd  was  the  brother  of  David,  whose  de- 
voted missionary  life  is  so  well  known,  and  has  had  so 
powerful  an  effect  in  exciting  the  missionary  spirit,  in 
Great  Britain  as  well  as  America.  His  brother  suc- 
ceeded him,  supported  by  the  same  society  in  Scotland 
which  had  supported  himself.  But  after  some  time  he 
relinquished  the  missionary  work,  and  accepted  a  pas- 
toral charge  in  the  town  of  Newark,  New  Jersey.  The 
contribution  from  Scotland  was  now  withdrawn,  as 
there  was  no  missionary  among   the  Indians.      But 


56  T  II  E     L  0  G     C  0  L  L  E  G  E . 

when  Mr.  Tennent  returned  with  the  aforementioned 
Bum,  appropriated  to  this  object,  the  Synod  of  New 
York  renewed  their  missionary  enterprise ;  and  as  the 
very  name  of  Brainerd  was  precious  to  the  Indians  of 
New  Jersey,  Mr.  John  Brainerd,  by  the  advice  of  the 
Synod,  resigned  his  charge,  and  returned  to  the  In- 
dians. 

"  The  Rev.  Messrs.  Tennent  and  Davies,  when  in 
Great  Britain,  received  from  various  persons  in  Lon- 
don the  sum  of  £298  17s.,  '  for  the  education  of  such 
youth  for  the  ministry  of  the  gospel,  in  the  College  of 
New  Jersey,  as  are  unable  to  defray  the  expenses  of 
their  education,  who  appear  upon  proper  examination 
to  be  of  promising  genius,  Calvinistic  principles,  and 
in  the  judgment  of  charity  experimentally  acquainted 
with  the  work  of  saving  grace,  and  to  have  distin- 
guished zeal  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  salvation  of 
men.'  The  annual  interest  of  the  aforesaid  sum  only 
was  to  be  appropriated.  To  this  sum  was  added,  by 
another  donor,  XIO  7s.  6d.,  making  the  whole  of  this 
charitable  fund  to  be  £307  4s.  6d. 

"  The  money  aforesaid  was,  by  Messrs.  Tennent  and 
Davies,  put  into  the  hands  of  the  Trustees  of  New 
Jersey  College,  to  be  applied  to  the  education  of  such 
youth,  of  the  character  above  mentioned,  as  shall  be 
examined  and  approved  by  the  Synod  of  New  York, 
(or  by  what  name  soever  that  body  of  men  may  be 
hereafter  called)  and  by  them  recommended  ta  the 
trustees  of  said  college,  and  to  be  divided  among  such 
youths,  in  proportion  as  said  Synod  shall  think  fit. 
To  the  above  sums  fifty  pounds  sterling  were  added  by 
an  individual,  making  the  whole  sum  £357  4s.  6d."* 

A  report  has  attained  some  currency,  that  INIr.  Ten- 
nent and  Mr.  Davies  did  not  perfectly  harmonize  when 
on  this  mission ;  but  though  it  is  possible  that  some  cool- 
ness may  have  arisen  between  these  eminent  ministers, 
there  is  not  any  written  document  in  which  we  have 

*  This  fund  wa^  nearly  all  lost  during  the  revolutionary  war. 


THE   KEV.    GILBEllT   TENNENT.  57 

found  the  least  hint  of  any  difFcrence.  From  the  sua- 
vity of  Mr.  Davies's  disposition,  and  the  perfect  polite- 
ness of  his  manners,  we  cannot  think  that  there  is  any 
foundation  for  the  report.  The  men,  it  is  true,  in  na- 
tural disposition,  were  not  altogether  congenial ;  for 
while  the  manners  of  one  wore  polished  and  calculated 
to  please,  it  is  probable  those  of  the  other  were  rough, 
blunt,  and  not  at  all  courtly.  We  shall,  therefore,  dis- 
miss this  report  as  one  of  the  thousands  Avhich  have  no 
probable  foundation.  No  doubt  Mr.  Davies  carried  off 
the  palm,  as  to  popularity  in  London  and  other  places ; 
and  if  Mr.  Tennent  was  at  all  susceptible  of  the  feelings 
of  envy,  which  are  very  natural  to  the  human  heart, 
and  the  remains  of  which  are  often  found  lurking  in 
the  hearts  of  ministers  as  well  as  others,  he  might 
have  felt  badly  in  finding  himself  eclipsed  by  a  much 
younger  man.  But,  as  was  said,  we  have  no  right  to 
charge  him  with  any  such  feeling,  and  we  are  confident, 
that  INIr.  Davies's  treatment  of  him  must  have  been 
uniformly  respectful  and  affectionate ;  for  it  was  so  to 
everybody. 

After  Mr.  Tenncnt's  settlement  in  Philadelphia,  he 
exerted  himself  with  great  energy  and  perseverance 
to  get  a  good  house  of  worship  erected  for  the  congre- 
gation which  he  served.  Indeed,  at  that  time  the 
building  of  such  an  edifice  as  that  which,  by  his  indefa- 
tigable exertions,  was  erected  at  the  north-cast  corner 
of  the  intersection  of  INIulberry  (or  Arch)  and  Third 
streets,  for  the  second  Presbyterian  church  in  Phila- 
delphia, was  a  great  work.  Very  few  of  the  Presby- 
terian denomination  then  possessed  so  much  wealth. 
Mr.  Tennent  not  only  obtained  nearly  all  the  subscrip- 
tions for  the  building,  Imt  actually  superintended  the 
work  in  person,  and  assiduously  watched  over  it,  from 
its  commencement  to  its  completion.  After  some  time 
the  congregation  added  a  handsome  steeple  to  the 
building. 

Such  men  as  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent  always  appear 
greatest  in  times  of  excitement  and  stu-ring  activity. 


68  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

It  may  well  be  doubted  whether  his  preaching  was  as 
awakening  and  impressive  after  his  removal  to  Phila- 
delphia as  it  was  before.  Some  change  in  his  views 
and  feelings,  as  to  the  best  method  of  promoting  re- 
ligion, had  taken  place  it  would  be  very  natural  to 
suppose.  The  warmth  of  his  religious  feelings  had  in 
some  measure  cooled,  and  the  violence  of  his  zeal  had, 
by  time  and  experience,  been  mitigated.  From  this 
time  he  seems  to  have  gone  along  as  quietly  as  other 
ministers  around  him.  We  thus  judge,  because  we 
have  never  heard  of  any  remarkable  effects  of  his 
preaching  after  his  settlement  in  Philadelphia.  There 
is  another  thing  which  ought  not  to  be  overlooked.  In 
a  great  city  the  hearers  are  more  fastidious  than  in  the 
country,  and  will  not  tolerate  so  much  liberty  of  di- 
gression, and  so  frequent  departures  from  good  taste 
and  correct  composition.  Before  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent 
went  to  Philadelphia,  though,  doubtless,  he  studied  his 
sermons  carefully,  and  digested  his  matter  under  a  suf- 
ficient variety  of  heads,  yet  he  preached  without  having 
written  his  discoui'ses,  and  like  all  ardent  preachers, 
gave  himself  great  indulgence  in  pursuing  any  new 
train  of  ideas  which  was  presented  dui-ing  the  time  of 
preaching.  But  when  settled  in  a  great  city,  he 
thought  it  necessary,  for  the  sake  of  correctness,  to 
write  his  sermons,  and  read  them  from  the  pulpit. 
This  circumstance  alone,  probably,  produced  a  great 
alteration  in  his  mode  of  preaching.  Many  men  who 
preach  admirably  when  free  to  follow  the  thoughts 
which  they  have  arranged,  or  to  pursue  such  as  spring 
up  at  the  time,  when  confined  to  a  discourse  written  in 
the  study,  appear  to  be  very  much  cramped,  and  lose 
much  of  their  vivacity  and  natural  eloquence.  The 
writer  once  conversed  with  a  plain  and  pious  man,  who 
in  early  life  being  apprenticed  to  a  trade  in  Philadel- 
phia, attended  Mr.  Tennent's  ministry.  We  asked  him 
respecting  his  manner  of  preaching.  He  answered 
simply,  "  that  jNIr.  Tennent  was  never  worth  anything 
after  he  came  to  Philadelphia;"  "for,"  said  he,  "he 


THE   REV.    GILBERT   TENNENT.  59 

took  to  reading  his  sermons,  and  lost  all  his  animation." 
This  testimony  came  from  a  class  not  sufficiently  con- 
sidered, when  the  hest  mode  of  preaching  is  under 
consideration.  Our  reference  is  too  much  to  the  taste 
of  men  of  cultivated  minds,  who  form  but  a  small  part 
of  any  congregation ;  and  even  these,  when  pious,  are 
better  pleased  with  blundering  simplicity,  joined  with 
animation,  than  with  cold  accuracy,  when  the  most 
solemn  truths  are  delivered  without  emotion. 

Though  Mr.  Tennent,  however,  probably  lost  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  his  early  vehemence  and  impres- 
siveness,  which  can  be  well  enough  accounted  for  by 
the  mere  increase  of  years,  without  supposing  any 
real  diminution  of  zeal,  yet  his  discourses,  as  appears 
by  those  published,  were  various  and  instructive.  This 
will  appear  more  clearly  when  we  come  to  speak  of  his 
writings. 

The  interest  of  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent  in  revivals,  and 
his  joy  at  the  conversion  of  sinners,  continued  un- 
abated. For  in  March,  1757,  an  extraordinary  revival 
of  religion  occurred  in  the  New  Jersey  college,  con- 
cerning which  he  thus  speaks  in  the  preface  to  one  of 
his  volumes  of  sermons :  "  In  March  last,  I  received  a 
letter  from  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  informing  me 
of  an  extraordinary  appearance  of  the  Divine  power 
and  presence  there,  and  requesting  I  would  come  and 
see.  With  this  kind  motion  I  gladly  complied ;  and 
having  been  there  some  time,  had  all  the  evidence  of 
the  aforesaid  report,  which  could  be  in  reason  desired." 
He  then  inserts  a  letter  from  his  brother  William, 
giving  a  particular  account  of  the  nature  and  progress 
of  the  work ;  which  was  addressed  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Finley,  and  the  autograph  of  which  the  writer  has 
seen.* 

For  about  three  years  before  his  death,  Mr.  Tennent 
became  very  infirm,  so  that  he  was  unable  to  go  through 
the  duties  which  devolved  upon  him  as  the  pastor  of  a 

*  See  Appendix,  No.  1. 


GO  TIIELOGCOLLEGE. 

large  city  congregation.  In  December,  1762,  the  con- 
gregation got  leave  to  present  a  call  to  the  Rev.  George 
Duffield,  J).  D.,  then  of  Carlisle,  to  be  a  co-pastor  with 
Mr.  Tennent.  This  call  Dr.  Duffield  declined  to  ac- 
cept, and  the  congregation  remained  without  another 
pastor  until  Mr.  Tennent's  death  ;  which  event  occurred 
in  the  year  1764,  in  the  sixty-second  year  of  his  age. 

Of  the  circumstances  of  his  death.  Dr.  Finley,  in 
his  funeral  sermon,  says  but  little.  In  the  general, 
he  informs  us,  that,  "  as  he  lived  to  the  Lord,  so  death 
was  his  unspeakable  gain  ;  and  his  being  conscious  of 
it  made  him  ardently  wish  for  the  pleasing  hour  when 
he  should  enter  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord."  .  .  .  "He 
had  an  habitual  unshaken  assurance  of  his  interest  in 
redeeming  love,  for  the  space  of  more  than  forty  years ; 
but  eight  days  before  his  death  he  got  a  more  clear 
and  aftecting  sense  of  it  still.  And  though  he  lamented 
that  he  had  done  so  little  for  God,  and  that  his  life 
had  been  comparatively  unprofitable  ;  yet  he  triumphed 
in  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  had  pardoned  all  his 
sins ;  and  said  his  assurance  of  salvation  was  built  on 
the  Scriptures,  and  was  more  sure  than  the  sun  and 
moon." 

His  congregation  placed  a  monumental  stone  over 
his  remains,  in  the  middle  aisle  of  the  church  in  which 
he  had  so  long  preached.  The  inscription  on  this  stone 
was  written  by  his  friend  Dr.  Finley,  in  classical  Latin. 
When  this  church  was  remodelled,  his  remains  and 
those  of  Dr.  Finley  also,  were  removed  to  the  cemetery 
of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  in  Arch  street, 
between  Fifth  and  Sixth  streets. 

After  Mr.  Tennent's  death,  there  was  an  eulogy  on 
his  character,  published  in  Philadelphia,  by  a  young 
gentleman  of  that  city,  from  which  some  extracts  will 
be  made,  as  serving  to  show  in  what  estimation  he  was 
held  in  the  place  where  he  spent  more  than  twenty 
years  of  his  life.  We  expect,  in  discourses  of  this 
kind,  some  exaggeration ;  but  as  this  eulogy  was  ad- 
dressed to  the  public,  who  were  well  acquainted  with 


THE    REV.     GILBERT    TENNENT.  Gl 

the  person  eulogized,  it  must  have  a  general  founda- 
tion of  truth  ;  and  the  reader,  by  making  an  allowance 
for  the  strong  expressions  of  the  partial  writer,  may 
form  a  pretty  correct  opinion  of  the  true  character  of 
the  person  celebrated. 

After  an  introduction,  this  writer  goes  on  to  say: 

"  He  whose  memory  these  pages  arc  intended  to  celebrate, 
was  distinguished  in  a  very  remarkable  manner,  by  his  emi- 
nent endowments  of  mind ;  a  love  of  learning  that  nothing 
could  abate ;  an  intense  application  that  no  recreations  could 
divert.  His  great  proficiency  in  the  several  branches  of 
literature,  while  the  powers  of  his  soul  were  but  just  open- 
ing, raised  the  expectations  of  all  that  knew  him.  What 
recommended  these  amiable  accomplishments  was,  that  they 
were  early  adorned  with  the  charms  of  Divine  grace.  It  was 
his  study  to  remember  his  Creator  in  the  days  of  his  youth. 
As  he  often  inculcated  the  necessity  and  manifold  advantages 
of  early  piety,  so  he  might  with  propriety  have  added  his 
own  experience  of  them,  as  an  inducement  to  the  votaries  of 
gayety  and  pleasure  to  embrace  the  pleasures  that  flow  from 
true  religion.  He  had  no  sooner  experienced  what  it  was 
to  pass  from  death  unto  life,  and  from  a  state  of  nature  to  a 
state  of  grace,  than  he  formed  a  resolution  of  spending  his 
time,  his  talents,  and  his  all,  in  the  service  of  God,  in  his 
sanctuary;  previously  to  the  accomplishment  of  which  de- 
sign, he  devoted  himself  wholly  to  the  study  of  the  sacred 
scriptures,  and  his  own  heart,  and  not  merely  to  a  dry  sys- 
tem of  speculative  notions.  He  was  too  sensible  of  the 
importance  of  that  arduous  office,  to  rush  into  it  without 
suitable  preparation.  He  knew  too  well  the  worth  of  pre- 
cious immortal  souls  to  recommend  any  other  foundation  for 
the  hopes  of  their  future  happiness,  than  what  he  was  well 
assured  would  stand  the  test  of  beating  rains  and  descending 

showers The  manner  in  which  he  usually  preached, 

and  the  indifference  with  which  he  treated  all  secular  ad- 
vantages, abundantly  evinced,  that  neither  a  love  of  popular 
applause,  nor  a  desire  of  promoting  his  own  affluence  and 
ease,  could  have  been  any  inducement  to  him  to  assume  the 
holy  function.  But,  on  the  contrary,  an  ardent  love  to 
God,  and  a  desire  to  advance  his  glory  in  the  world,  by  pro- 
claiming pardon  and  reconciliation  through  the  atoning 
6 


62  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

blood  of  his  crucified  Son,  were  his  only  motives  for  the 
choice  of  that  noble,  disinterested  profession.  As  he  en- 
tered into  the  ministry  in  the  prime  of  life,  when  his  bodily 
constitution  was  in  its  full  vigour,  he  devoted  his  juvenile 
strength  and  ardour  of  mind  to  the  service  of  the  church, 
at  a  time  when  their  exertion  was  of  the  greatest  import- 
ance. Few  that  knew  Mr.  Tenn^nt  in  that  season  of  life, 
can  speak  of  him  without  some  pleasing  emotions.  The 
good  old  Puritan  spirit  that  had  for  a  series  of  years  been 
asleep,  seemed  to  revive  and  blaze  forth  in  him  with  a 
genuine  lustre.  He  was,  indeed,  like  the  harbinger  of  his 
Master,  'a  burning  and  a  shining  light,'  in  the  church. 
His  undisscmbled  piety,  his  fervent  zeal,  his  pungency  of 
address,  and  his  indefatigable  assiduity  in  the  performance 
of  every  ministerial  duty,  were  remarkably  eminent.  He 
might  truly  be  styled  a  Boanerges.  As  he  knew  the  com- 
position and  make  of  the  human  heart,  so  he  knew  how  to 
speak  to  it ;  and  all  his  discourses  were  aimed  at  the  foiin- 
tain  of  impurity  and  sin.  He  knew  that  a  reformation  that 
did  not  take  its  rise  in  the  heart,  could  not  be  of  long  con- 
tinuance, or  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God ;  and,  therefore, 
he  always  strove  to  convince  his  hearers,  that  a  thorough 
renovation  of  it  was  necessary  to  salvation. 

"  As  his  presence  was  venerable,  and  his  voice  command- 
ing, so  his  very  appearance  in  the  pulpit  filled  the  minds 
of  his  hearers  with  a  kind  of  religious  awe.  .  .  .  The 
thunderings  and  mighty  vociferations  of  Mount  Sinai  seemed 
to  roar  from  the  sacred  desk,  when  he  denounced  the  wrath 
of  God  against  him  that  transgressed  but  once  God's  law, 
which  he  knew  to  be  spiritual,  and  that  nothing  but  a  per- 
fect obedience — which  man  in  his  fallen  state  is  unable  to 
perform — would  satisfy  its  demands.  Hence,  he  made  it  his 
constant  practice  to  sound  the  alarm  of  God's  curse  abiding 
on  the  whole  human  race ;  and  taught  that  to  doom  man  to 
everlasting  misery  would  be  highly  consistent  with  the  mercy 
and  justice  of  Jehovah.  But  while  he  enforced  the  truth 
of  inspiration,  '  that  in  Adam  all  die,'  he  was  no  less  warm 
in  procLiiming,  Hhat  in  Christ  all  shall  be  made  alive.' 
And  as  he  knew  how  to  wound,  so  he  knew  how  to  pour  the 
oil  of  consolation  on  the  bleeding  conscience.  The  blood  of 
Jesus,  that  sacred  healing  balm,  was  his  grand  catholicon  for 
sin-sick  souls.      This  aloue  was  what  he  recommended  as 


THE    REV.    GILBERT    TENNENT.  G3 

sufficient  to  procure  case  to  the  trembling  sinner;  with  the 
love  of  God  to  man — in  sending  his  beloved  Son  into  the 
world,  to  redeem  a  race  of  rebel  sinners,  by  bearing  on 
the  accursed  tree  the  heavy  punishment  due  to  man's 
enormous  crimes,  in  order  to  translate  him  to  the  regions 
of  eternal  joy. 

*'  The  beginning  of  his  ministry  was  employed  in  long  and 
tedious  itinerations.  And  wherever  he  had  a  prospect  of 
doing  good,  however  remote  the  place  might  be  from  his 
friends,  and  however  repugnant  to  his  own  ease,  he  needed 
no  other  inducement,  but  cheerfully  undertook  the  pleasing 
task. 

"Fatigues  and  toils  from  which  even  worldly  men  in  the 
prosecution  of  an  earthly  good  shrink  back,  he  joyfully  en- 
gaged in ;  and  with  a  degree  of  perseverance  peculiar  to 
himself,  bravely  overcame  those  difficulties,  which  to  some 
minds  appeared  insurmountable.  ...  It  pleased  God,  in  a 
very  gracious  manner,  to  crown  his  labours  with  success. 
The  energy  of  the  divine  Spirit  accompanied  his  ministra- 
tions. Wherever  he  went  the  kingdom  of  Satan  trembled; 
the  desolate  and  solitary  places  bloomed  like  the  rose  before 
him ;  and  he  became  the  happy  instrument  of  turning  many 
from  the  error  of  their  ways  to  the  living  God. 

"His  knowledge  in  divinity,  in  which  he  made  great  pro- 
ficiency, was  entirely  derived  from  the  Bible ;  and  whatever 
truth  it  enforced  as  duty,  he  inculcated  •  his  arguments  for 
the  one,  and  motives  for  the  other,  were  all  taken  from  those 
inspired  pages,  which  he  prized  above  all  human  writings, 
aud  valued  as  the  charter  by  which  he  possessed  the  hope, 
and  ere  long  expected  the  full  enjoyment  of  a  blessed 
eternity. 

"  Sensible  how  much  man  is  dependent  upon  God  for 
every  blessing  he  enjoys,  and  that  the  best  way  to  keep  the 
flame  of  devotion  alive  in  his  own  soul,  was  to  maintain 
a  constant  intercourse  with  heaven,  he  made  prayer  his 
chief  and  most  delightful  employment.  This  was  the  very 
breath  of  his  soul.  .  .  .  llis  manner  of  praying  was  such 
as  evidenced  it  to  be  not  the  mere  language  of  the  passions, 
but  a  rational,  solemn,  and  animated  address  to  the  great 
Father  of  spirits. 

"After  having  laboured  for  many  years,  with  much  suc- 
cess, iu  New  Brunswick,  where   he  was   settled,  by  the 


64  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

advice  of  his  brethren  he  accepted  an  urgent  call  from  the 
Second  Presbyterian  church  in  Philadelphia,  while  the 
society  was  in  its  infant  state;  and  continued  to  exercise  his 
pastoral  functions  there  for  upwards  of  twenty  years,  with  a 
degree  of  watchfulness  and  fidelity  scarcely  to  be  paralleled. 
He  considered  himself  as  the  shepherd  of  his  flock,  and 
made  it  his  practice  to  lead  them  to  the  green  pastures  and 
living  fountains  of  salvation,  with  the  care  of  one  that  knew 
he  must  render  an  account  at  the  last  day.  Nay,  he  con- 
sidered himself  the  father  of  his  people,  and  as  his  beloved 
children  he  counselled,  warned,  and  reproved  them  with  all 
the  tenderness  and  solicitude  of  a  father's  heart.  He  was, 
indeed,  a  faithful  watchman,  that  never  failed  to  give  warn- 
ing of  impending  danger.  The  rich  and  the  poor,  the  black 
and  white  had  equally  free  access  to  his  person,  and  ever 
found  him  ready  to  hear  their  complaints  and  solve  their 
doubts. 

"  What  he  preached  in  the  pulpit,  his  life  preached  out 
of  it.  His  disposition — naturally  calm — was  still  more 
sweetened  with  that  holy  temper  which  the  gospel  of  Christ 
inspires.  A  genuine  serenity  and  cheerfulness  dwelt  upon 
his  countenance,  which  he  never  failed  to  diffuse  on  all 
around  him.  He  was  charitable  to  the  poor ;  kind  to  all 
men ;  a  lover  of  all  that  loved  the  Lord  Jesus,  whatever 
mode  of  worship  they  professed ;  and  much  beloved  in  all 
the  tender  endearfnents  of  domestic  life,  as.  a  husband,  a 
father,  a  master,  and  a  friend. 

"  There  is  nothing  in  this  world,  methinks,  more  grand 
or  illustrious  than  the  old  age  of  a  man  who  has  devoted  his 
whole  time,  and  spent  his  whole  life  in  promoting  the  spiri- 
tual interests  of  his  fellow-creatures.  .  .  .  The  review  of 
his  life  fills  the  soul  with  a  pleasure  which  none  but  such  as 
experience  it  can  conceive.  Whilst  he  sees  no  ill-spent 
time  to  sting  his  conscience  with  remorse,  nor  feels  any  at- 
tachment to  the  transitory  things  of  this  world,  he  beholds 
a  calm  haven  prepared  for  his  repose,  where  the  storms  and 
billows  of  affliction  can  reach  him  no  more.  ...  In  this 
light  should  we  contemplate  Mr.  Tennent.  His  soul,  like 
the  setting  sun,  broke  through  the  clouds  of  infirmity. 
There  was  a  dignity  and  grandeur  in  his  old  age.  Wisdom 
bloomed  upon  his  silver  locks ;  and  while  the  cold  hand  of 
time  snowed  upon  his  locks,  his  heart  glowed  with  redoubled 


THE    REV.     GILBERT    TENNENT.  65 

love  for  the  church.  .  .  .  Nor  more  dreadful  to  the  man 
of  ease  in  his  possessions  is  the  approach  of  the  king  of  ter- 
rors, than  he  was  welcome  to  this  eminent  servant  of  God. 
Every  symptom  of  his  approaching  dissolution,  instead  of 
filling  his  soul  with  alarms,  rather  filled  him  with  comfort, 
and  made  him  impatiently  long  for  the  kind  stroke  that 
should  dismiss  his  soul.  After  having  borne  a  long  and 
tedious  illness  with  the  most  invincible  fortitude  and  resig- 
nation, the  friendly  messenger  at  last  ^  came  with  the  joyful 
summons.  .  .  .  And  with  full  confidence  in  the  merits 
and  atonement  of  his  dear  Kedeemerj  he  gently  fell 
asleep." 

The  following  is  the  most  accurate  list  of  Mr.  Gil- 
bert Tenncnt's  works  which  the  author  has  been  able 
to  collect: — 

1.  In  the  year  1735,  Mr.  Tennent  published  his  "  Solemn 
Warning  to  the  secure  World,  from  the  Grod  of  Terrible 
Majesty;  or,  the  Presumptuous  Sinner  Detected,  his  Pleas 
Considered,  and  his  Doom  Displayed."  This  volume  was 
printed  in  Boston. 

2.  "  Sermons  on  Sacramental  Occasions,  by  Divers  Au- 
thors. A  small  duodecimo  volume.  The  sermons  are  all 
by  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent,  except  two;  one  by  his  brother 
William,  and  the  other  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Blair.  Lt 
would  seem  that  at  the  time  when  this  volume  was  pub- 
lished, no  books  were  printed  either  in  New  York  or  Phila- 
delphia ;  for  the  manuscript  was  sent  to  Boston,  and  printed 
there  in  the  year  1739. 

3.  Two  Sermons  of  the  Rev.  John  Tennent,  with  a  Pre- 
fiice,  containing  a  memoir  of  him,  to  which  is  added,  "  An 
Expostulatory  Address  to  Saints  and  Sinners,"  by  Gilbert 
Tennent.     Printed  in  Boston,  in  the  year  1735. 

4.  "  The  Espousals,  or  a  Passionate  Persuasion  to  a  Mar- 
riage with  the  Lamb  of  God."     Newport,  1741. 

5.  His  next  publication  was,  probably,  his  famous  "  Not- 
tingham Sermon,"  in  which  he  lashed  his  brethren  of  the 
Synod  so  severely,  that  it  had  much  influence  in  leading  to 
the  separation  which  soon  followed. 

6.  "The  Examiner  Examined"  was  written  in  the  year 
1740,  and  is  an  answer  to  a  pamphlet  written  against  him 
by  an  anonymous  author,  after  his  visit  to  New  England. 

6  * 


66  TIIELOGCOLLEGE. 

7.  "Tbc  Pacificator,"  a  large  pamphlet,  the  object  of 
which  was  to  bring  about  a  reunion  of  the  dissentient  par- 
ties in  the  Presbyterian  church. 

8.  A  small  quarto  volume  of  sermons,  twenty-three  in 
number.  These  Discourses  appear  to  have  been  the  com- 
mencement of  a  body  of  Divinity.  The  subjects  treated  are, 
''  The  Chief  End  of  Man— The  Divine  Authority  of  the 
Sacred  Scriptures — The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God,  and 
the  Trinity."     Preached  in  Philadelphia,  in  1743. 

9.  Two  sermons,  preached  at  Burlington,  N.  J.,  on  a 
day  of  Public  Fasting,  1749.  They  are  dedicated  to  Goa^- 
ernor  Belcher.  The  texts  are.  Matt.  vi.  16 — 18,  and  Jonah 
iii.  8. 

10.  "Sermons  on  Important  Subjects,  adapted  to  the 
perilous  state  of  the  British  Nation."     1758. 

We  do  not  know  where  Mr.  Tennent  obtained  his 
degree  of  Master  of  Arts.  It  would  be  natural  to 
suppose  fhat  it  was  conferred  by  the  Trustees  of  the 
College  of  New  Jersey ;  but  his  name  is  not  on  the 
catalogue ;  while  we  find  there  the  name  of  some  of 
his  contemporaries,  who  received  honorary  degrees. 
As  he  Avas  a  Trustee  of  New  Jersey  College,  it  is  pro- 
bable that  this  honor  was  conferred  on  him  by  Yale  or 
Harvard,  or  possibly,  by  one  of  the  Scotch,  univer- 
sities. 

11.  A  Funeral  Sermon,  occasioned  by  the  death  of  Cap- 
tain William  Grant.     Preached  in  Philadelphia,  1756. 

12.  The  last  publication  of  Mr  Gilbert  Tennent  was,  "  A 
Sermon  on  the  Nature  of  Religious  Zeal.  Its  Excellency  and 
Importance  opened  and  urged."  Preached  in  Philadelphia, 
January  27,  1760. 

The  style  of  these  several  publications  is  very  diverse ; 
as  they  were  composed  at  different  periods  of  Mr.  Ten- 
ncnt's  life,  on  different  subjects,  and  in  different  cir- 
cumstances. In  all  his  writings  perspicuity  and  force 
are  manifest  characteristics  of  his  style  ;  but  there  is  a 
great  want  of  simplicity  and  ease.  Throughout  the 
whole,  the  doctrines  inculcated  arc  rigidly  orthodox, 


THE   REV.    aiLBERT   TENNENT.  67 

according  to  the  Westminster  Confession.  In  his 
didactic  discourses  he  shows  himself  not  only  to  be  a 
profound  thinker,  but  a  well  read  theologian ;  and 
often  quotes  the  standard  Latin  writers  of  systematic 
theology,  as  one  who  had  been  accustomed  to  read 
them.  While  he  manifests  an  ardent  zeal  in  defence 
of  the  'doctrines  of  grace,'  he  never  loses  sight  of  the 
importance  of  experimental  religion  and  practical  god- 
liness. In  conformity  with  the  custom  of  the  age,  he 
too  much  abounds  in  divisions  and  subdivisions,  and  is 
too  fond  of  technical  words  and  phrases.  His  practi- 
cal discourses,  however,  are  often  both  pungent  and 
searching. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable,  that  while  so  many  old 
authors  have  been  republished  in  our  day,  none  of  the 
writings  of  Gilbert  Tennent  have  ever  passed  to  a 
second  edition.  A  selection  from  his  works  should  be 
published,  that  we  might  not  only  have  a  sketch  of  the 
lives  of  the  divines  of  the  Log  College,  but  a  specimen 
of  their  theology. 


CHAPTER  VL 


Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent's  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Prince,  containing  many  in- 
teresting particulars  of  the  state  of  religion  in  New  Brunswick,  and  vi- 
cinity; and  also  in  Philadelphia,  and  various  other  places. 

The  preceding  memoir  of  Gilbert  Tennent  was  drawn 
up  before  the  writer  met  with  the  following  letter  from 
his  own  pen,  addressed  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Prince,  of 
Boston,  and  published  in  his  "  Christian  History," 
dated  August  24,  1744,  soon  after  Mr.  Tennent  had 
removed  to  Philadelphia.  This  letter  sheds  a  satisfac- 
tory light  on  several  parts  of  Mr.  Tennent's  life,  which 
all  other  accounts  leave  in  obscurity,  as  for  example, 
the  success  of  his  ministry  in  New  Brunswick,  while 
the  pastor  of  that  church ;  and  also  in  Staten  Island, 
where  he  .had  a  congregation,  in  which  his  labours  appear 
to  have  been  blessed.  It  is  a  sad  evidence  of  the  re- 
trograde march  of  Presbyterianism  in  some  parts  of 
our  country,  that  after  the  lapse  of  a  complete  century 
there  is  not  a  vestige  of  a  Presbyterian  congregation 
in  that  island ;  nor  has  there  been,  within  the  memory 
of  any  person  living.  Even  the  part  of  the  island  in 
which  this  congregation  was  located,  cannot  now  be 
ascertained. 

Such  parts  of  Mr.  Tennent's  letter  as  have  no  bear- 
ing on  his  own  life,  have  been  omitted,  but  we  have  re- 
tained much  the  larger  part,  and  in  his  own  language. 

Extracts  from  the  letter  of  the  Rev.  Grilbert  Tennent,  to 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Prince,  of  Boston,  published  in  the  "  Chris- 
tian History"  of  the  latter. 

"  I  am  glad  it  pleased  the  sovereign  God  to  make  my  poor 
labours  of  any  service  among  you.     I  desire  ever  to  bless 
his  name  for  that  undeserved  mercy.     I  am  thankful  for 
(68) 


THE   REV.    GILBERT   TENNENT.  69 

the  ''  Christian  History/'  and  well  pleased  with  the  design 
and  management  of  the  work.  I  hope  it  will  be  a  means  in 
God's  hand  of  conveying  with  honour  to  posterity,  a  me- 
morial of  the  late  blessed  revival  of  religion,  which  has  been 
so  virulently  opposed  by  many." 

Here  he  introduces  a  long  extract  from  a  public  at- 
testation to  the  reality  of  the  work  of  grace  in  the  late 
revival,  which  was  prefixed  to  Mr.  Dickinson's  "  Dis- 
play of  Special  Grace."  This  public  testimony  Avas 
subscribed  by  Gilbert  Tennent,  William  Tennent,  Sa- 
muel Blair,  Richard  Treat,  Samuel  Finley,  and  John 
Blair.  Some  parts  of  this  paper  will  not  be  out  of 
place  here,  as,  no  doubt,  it  was  drawn  up  by  Gilbert 
Tennent. 

''■  If  any  should  inquire  what  we  mean  by  the  work  of 
God,  we  think  the  judicious  author  of  the  following  dialogue 
(Mr.  Dickinson)  has  given  a  plain  and  pertinent  answer,  to 
which  we  give  our  approbation.  '  A  work  of  conviction  and 
conversion  spread  not  long  since  in  many  places  of  these 
provinces,  with  such  power  and  progress  as  even  silenced  for 
a  time  the  most  malignant  opposers.  They  were  either 
afraid  or  ashamed  openly  to  contradict  such  astonishing  dis- 
plays of  the  divine  Almightiness  in  alarming  multitudes  of 
secure  sinners  out  of  their  fatal  stupor,  and  exciting  in  them 
the  utmost  solicitude  about  the  everlasting  concerns  of  their 
souls ;  many  of  whom  gave  us  a  rational  and  scriptural  ac- 
count of  their  distress,  and  afterwards  of  their  deliverance 
from  it,  agreeable  to  the  method  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
Their  comforts  as  well  as  their  sorrows  appeared,  by  all  the 
evidence  wc  can  have  of  such  things,  to  be  agreeable  to 
scripture  and  reason. 

''It  is  shocking  to  think  that  any  should  dare  to  oppose 
a  work  attended  with  such  commanding  evidence  as  has  been 
among  us.  We  would  beseech  all  such  solemnly  to  answer 
the  following  paragraph  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robe,  minister  of 
the  gospel  in  Kilsyth,  Scotland,  in  his  preface  to  his  '  Narra- 
tive,' which  is  as  follows  :  '  I  seriously  beg  of  any  who  are 
prejudiced  against  this  dispensation  of  God's  extraordinary 
grace,  and  look  upon  it  as  a  delusion,  that  they  will  show 
themselves  so  charitable,  as  to  direct  mc  and  other  ministers, 


70  T  II  ELOG     COLLEGE. 

what  we  shall  answer  distressed  persons  of  all  ages,  who 
come  to  us  crying  bitterly  that  they  are  undone,  because  of 
unbelief  and  other  sins — '*  What  shall  we  do  to  be  saved  !" 
And  as  a  young  girl  about  twelve,  who  had  been  in  distress 
for  some  time  called  upon  me  in  the  house  where  I  was,  and 
asked  me  with  great  sedateness,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  get 
Christ  ?"  shall  we  tell  them  that  they  are  not  Christless, 
and  are  not  unconverted,  when  we  evidently  see  many  of 
them  to  be  such  ?  Shall  we  tell  them  that  their  fears  of  the 
wrath  of  God  are  all  but  delusion,  and  that  it  is  no  such  a 
dreadful  thing  that  they  need  to  be  much  afraid  of  it? 
Shall  we  tell  persons  lamenting  their  cursing  and  swearing, 
Sabbath-bx'eaking,  and  other  immoralities,  that  it  is  the 
devil  that  now  makes  them  see  these  evils  to  be  oifensive  to 
God,  and  destructive  to  their  souls  ?  Shall  we  tell  them, 
who,  under  the  greatest  uneasiness,  inquire  of  us  what  they 
shall  do  to  get  an  interest  and  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  that 
Satan  is  deluding  them,  when  they  have,  or  show  any  con- 
cern this  way  ?  In  fine,  shall  we  pray  and  recommend  it  to 
them  to  pray  to  God,  to  deliver  them  from  such  delusions  ? 
It  would  be  worse  than  devilish  to  treat  the  Lord's  sighing 
and  groaning  prisoners  at  this  rate ;  and  yet  such  treatment 
is  a  natural  consequence  of  reckoning  this  the  work  of  the 
devil,  and  a  delusion.' 

"  I  may  add  that  both  our  Presbyteries  of  New  Bruns- 
wick and  New  Castle  have,  in  their  declaration  of  May  26, 
1748,  printed  at  Philadelphia,  manifested  their  cordial  con- 
currence with  the  protestation  of  the  Presbytery  of  New 
York,  in  which  are  these  words,  viz.  :  'We  protest  against 
all  those  passages  which  have  been  published  in  these  parts 
which  seem  to  reflect  on  the  work  of  divine  power  and  grace, 
which  has  been  carrying  on  in  so  wonderful  a  manner  in 
many  of  our  congregations ;  and  declare  to  all  the  world, 
that  we  look  upon  it  to  be  the  indispensable  duty  of  all  our 
ministers  to  encourage  that  glorious  work,  with  their  most 
faithful  and  diligent  endeavours.'  " 

This  public  protestation  was  signed  by  Jonathan 
Dickinson,  Ebenezer  Pemberton,  Daniel  Elmore,  Silas 
Leonard,  John  Pierson,  Simon  Ilorton,  and  Azariah 
Horton,  ministers  ;  and  by  Nathaniel  Hazard,  Timothy 
Whitehead,  and  David  Whitehead,  elders.     Now,  the 


THE    REV.    GILBERT    TENNENT.  71 

concurrence  of  the  Presbyteries  of  New  Brunswick  and 
New  Castle  with  the  aforesaid  Protest  is  expressed  in 
the  following  words,  in  the  5th  page  of  their  Declara- 
tion :  "  With  this  Protestation  of  our  reverend  and 
other  brethren  we  heartily  agree."  And  in  the  13th 
page  they  declare,  "  that  they  could  not  come  into  a 
state  of  settled  constant  communion  with  such  as  had 
protested  against  them,  until  they  received  competent 
satisfaction  ;  especially  concerning  their  opposition  to, 
and  reflections  upon  the  work  of  God's  grace,  and  suc- 
cess of  the  gospel  in  the  land." 

"  I  trust  I  may  say  to  the  glory  of  God's  grace,  that  it 
pleased  the  most  high  God  to  let  me  see  considerable  suc- 
cess in  the  places  where  I  laboured  statedly  many  years  be- 
fore I  came  hither. 

"  The  labours  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frelinghuysen,  a  Dutch 
Calvinist  minister,  were  much  blessed  to  the  people  of  New 
Brunswick,  and  places  adjacent ;  especially  about  the  time 
of  his  coming  among  them,  which  was  about  twenty-four 
years  ago. 

"  When  I  came  there,  which  was  about  seven  years  after, 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  much  of  the  fruits  of  his  min- 
istry ;  divers  of  his  hearers,  with  Whom  I  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  conversing,  appeared  to  be  converted  persons,  by 
their  soundness  in  principle,  Christian  experience,  and  pious 
pi'actice;  and  these  persons  declared  that  the  ministrations 
of  the  aforesaid  gentleman  were  the  means  thereof.  This, 
together  with  a  kind  letter  which  he  sent  me,  respecting  the 
dividing  the  word  aright,  and  giving  to  every  man  his  por- 
tion in  due  season,  through  the  divine  blessing,  excited  me 
to  greater  earnestness  in  ministerial  labours.  I  began  to  be 
very  much  distressed  about  my  want  of  success  ;  for  I  know 
not  for  half  a  year  or  more  after  I  came  to  New  Brunswick 
that  any  one  was  converted  by  my  labours,  although  seve- 
ral persons  were  at  times  aifected  transiently.  It  pleased 
God,  about  that  time,  to  afflict  me  with  sickness,  by  which 
I  had  aflFeeting  views  of  eternity.  I  was  then  exceedingly 
grieved  I  had  done  so  little  for  God,  and  was  very  desirous 
to  live  one  half  year  more,  if  it  was  his  will,  that  I  might 
stand  upon  the  stage  of  the  world,  as  it  were,  and  plead 


72*  TIIELOacOLLEGE. 

more  faithfully  for  his  cause,  and  take  more  earnest  paina 
for  the  salvation  of  souls.  The  secure  state  of  the  world 
appeared  to  me  in  a  very  affecting  light ;  and  one  thing, 
among  others,  pressed  me  sore,  that  I  had  spent  so  much 
time  in  conversing  about  trifles,  which  might  have  been 
spent  in  examining  people's  states,  and  persuading  them  to 
turn  unto  God.  I  therefore  prayed  to  God  that  he  would 
be  pleased  to  give  me  one  half  year  more,  and  I  was  deter- 
mined to  promote  his  kingdom  with  all  my  might,  and  at 
all  adventures.  This  petition  God  was  pleased  to  grant 
manifold,  and  to  enable  me  to  keep  my  resolution  in  some 
measure. 

"After  I  was  raised  up  to  health,  I  examined  many 
about  the  grounds  of  their  hope  of  salvation,  which  I  found 
in  most  to  be  nothing  but  as  the  sand.  With  such  I  was 
enabled  to  deal  faithfully  and  earnestly,  in  warning  them 
of  their  danger,  and  urging  them  to  seek  converting  grace. 
By  this  method  many  were  awakened  out  of  their  security, 
and  of  these,  divers  were  to  all  appearance  effectually  con- 
verted ;  but  some  that  I  spoke  plainly  to  were  prejudiced. 
And  here  I  would  have  it  observed,  that  as  soon  as  an 
effectual  door  was  opened,  I  found  many  adversaries,  and 
my  character  was  covered  with  unjust  reproaches,  which 
through  divine  goodness  did  not  discourage  me  in  my  work. 
I  did  then  preach  much  on  original  sin,  repentance,  the 
nature  and  necessity  of  conversion,  in  a  close,  examinatory, 
and  distinguishing  way :  labouring,  in  the  mean  time,  to 
sound  the  trumpet  of  God's  judgments,  and  alarm  the  secure 
by  the  terrors  of  the  Lord,  as  well  as  to  affect  them  with 
other  topics  of  persuasion  :  which  method  was  sealed  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  in  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  a  considera- 
ble number  of  persons,  at  various  times,  and  in  different 
places,  in  that  pai't  of  the  country,  as  appeared  by  their 
acquaintance  with  experimental  religion,  and  good  conver- 
sation. 

"  I  may  further  observe,  that  frequently  at  sacramental 
seasons,  in  New  Brunswick,  there  have  been  signal  displays 
of  the  divine  power  and  presence.  Divers  have  been  con- 
vinced of  sin,  by  the  sermons  there  preached,  some  con- 
verted, and  many  much  affected  with  the  love  of  God  in 
Jesus  Christ.  0  the  sweet  meltings  that  I  have  seen  ou 
such  occasions   among   many  !     New  Brunswick  did  then 


THE    REV.    aiLBERT    TENNENT.  73 

look  like  a  field  the  Lord  had  blessed.  It  was  like  a  little 
Jerusalem,  to  which  the  scattered  tribes  with  eager  haste 
repaired  at  sacramental  solemnities ;  and  there  they  fed  on* 
the  fatness  of  God's  house,  and  drank  of  the  rivers  of  his 
pleasures.     But  alas  !  the  scene  is  now  altered  ! 

"  While  I  lived  in  the  place  aforesaid,  I  do  not  remem- 
ber that  there  was  any  great  ingathering  of  souls  at  any 
one  time  j  but,  through  mercy,  there  were  frequently  glean- 
ings of  a  few  here  and  there,  which  in  the  whole  were  a 
considerable  number.  But  having  never  taken  a  written 
account  of  them,  I  cannot  offer  any  precise  conjecture  at 
their  number,  and  shall  therefore  leave  it  to  be  determined 
at  the  judgment-day.  But  at  Staten  Island,  one  of  the 
places  where  I  statedly  laboured,  there  was,  about  fifteen 
or  sixteen  years  agone,  a  more  general  concern  about  the 
affah-s  of  salvation,  which  hopefully  issued  in  the  conversion 
of  a  pretty  many.  Once  in  the  time  of  a  sermon  from  Amos 
vi.  7,  before  which  the  people  were  generally  secure,  the 
Spirit  of  God  was  suddenly  poured  out  on  the  assembly ; 
the  people  wei'e  generally  affected  about  the  state  of  their 
souls ;  and  some  to  that  degree,  that  they  fell  upon  their 
knees  in  the  time  of  the  sermon,  in  order  to  pray  to  God 
for  pardoning  mercy.  Many  went  weeping  home  from  the 
sermon ;  and  then  the  general  inquiry  was,  '  what  must  I 
do  to  be  saved?'  I  may  further  observe,  that  some  few  of 
those  that  I  hope  were  converted  in  the  places  aforesaid, 
were  compelled  to  cry  out  in  the  public  assembly,  both 
under  the  impressions  of  terror  and  love.  During  the  late 
revival  of  religion.  New  Brunswick  felt  some  drops  of  the 
spreading  rain,  but  no  general  shower. 

"  As  to  Philadelphia,  where,  by  the  providence  of  God, 
I  now  labour  statedly,  many  have  been  hopefully  converted 
here  during  the  display  of  God's  grace  in  this  laud.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  was  the  instrument  God  was  pleased 
to  imjyrove,  principally  in  the  awakening  and  conversion  of 
sinners  here ;  3'et  the  labours  of  others  have  been  attended 
with  some  success.  This  town,  by  all  that  I  can  learn,  was 
in  deep  security  generally  before  Mr.  Whitefield  came 
among  them,  but  his  preaching  was  so  blessed,  that  a  great 
number  were  brought  under  a  religious  concern  about  the 
salvation  of  their  souls ;  multitudes  were  '  inquiring  the  way 
to  Zion  with  their  faces  thitherward,  weeping  as  they  went.' 
7 


74  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

Some  years  since  there  were  so  many  under  soul-sickness  in 
this  place,  that  my  feet  were  pained  in  walking  from  place 
■to  place  to  see  them.  And  there  was  then  such  an  eager- 
ness to  hear  religious  discourse,  that  when  they  saw  me 
going  to  a  house  they  would  flock  to  it ;  and  under  what 
was  spoken,  they  were  sometimes  generally,  and  to  all  ap- 
pearance deeply  aifected.  And  thus  it  was  in  more  public 
assemblies;  there  were,  sometimes,  general  meltings.  And 
though  several  persons  have  lost  their  religious  impressions, 
and  'returned  with  the  dog  to  his  vomit;'  and  some  others 
have  fallen  into  erroneous  sentiments,  yet  Grod  has  preserved 
many  from  those  evils,  who  give  a  rational  and  scriptural 
account  of  their  conversion,  and  crown  the  same  by  their 
practice.  Neither  is  it  strange  that  some  should  be  carried 
away  here  by  the  fair  speeches  and  cunning  craftiness  of 
those  that  lie  in  wait  to  deceive ;  seeing  that  the  greater 
part  in  this  place  have  never  had  the  advantage  of  a  strict 
religious  education,  and  therefore  were  never  well  fixed  in 
the  thorough  knowledge  of  a  consistent  system  of  principles. 
None  that  I  know  of  in  this  town,  that  were  well  acquainted 
with  the  doctrines  of  religion  in  their  connection,  and  estab- 
lished in  them,  have  been  turned  aside  by  the  tempests  and 
tricks  of  errorists. 

"  The  last  Sabbath  in  May  last  I  gave  the  sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  Supper ;  the  first  time  that  it  was  dispensed  to 
the  society  to  which  I  belong — considered  as  a  society.  The 
number  of  communicants  was  above  one  hundred  and  forty. 
Those  persons  1  examined  about  their  gracious  state,  as  well 
as  doctrinal  knowledge ;  and,  upon  trial,  almost  all  of  them 
gave  scriptural  and  satisfactory  account  of  the  ground  of 
their  hope.  Now  the  chief  of  these,  according  to  their  own 
account,  have  been  brought  to  Christ  during  the  late  revival 
of  religion.  And  there  are  divers  other  persons,  who,  in  a 
judgment  of  charity,  have  got  saving  benefit  during  the  late 
marvellous  manifestation  of  God's  grace,  who  do  not  join  in 
commvmion  with  us. 

"  Though  there  is  in  many  a  considerable  decay  as  to 
their  liveliness  and  affectionate ness  in  religion,  yet  through 
divine  goodness  they  grow  more  humble  and  merciful ;  and 
it  is  evident  by  their  conversation  that  the  general  bent  of 
their  heart  is  for  God.  Since  I  have  come  here,  my  labours 
seem  to  be  chiefly  serviceable  to  instruct,  and  establish  the 


THE    REV.    GILBERT   TENNENT.  75 

great  truths  of  religion,  and  to  comfort  pious  people.  There 
have  been  but  a  few  instances  of  conviction  and  conversion 
in  this  town  that  I  know  of. 

"  In  some  places  of  this  province,  some  years  ago,  par- 
ticularly in  Nottingham,  Fag's  Manor,  Whiteclay  Creek, 
Neshaminy,  and  elsewhere,  there  have  been  such  general 
lamentations  in  the  time  of  preaching,  that  the  speaker's 
voice  has  been  almost  drowned  with  the  cries  of  the  dis- 
tressed, even  after  they  have  been  entreated  again  and  again 
to  restrain  themselves ;  yea,  and  sometimes  when  the  speaker 
discoursed  in  a  gospel  strain,  divers  persons  in  this  province 
have  fallen  down  to  the  ground  in  the  time  of  sermon,  as 
though  they  were  stabbed  with  a  sword.  And  what  though 
some  have  lost  their  impressions,  and  relapsed  into  their 
sordid  impieties,  this  is  no  more  than  what  the  Scriptures 
inform  us  did  happen  in  the  apostolic  times ;  yet  it  is  well 
known  that  many  of  them,  so  far  as  we  are  capable  of  judg- 
ing by  men's  speech  and  practice,  have  been  brought  to  a 
sound  conversion. 

"  I  think  it  needless  here  to  offer  a  reply  to  the  cavils  of 
opposers,  which  are  as  numerous  as  insidious  and  imperti- 
nent. But  this  I  must  say,  that  mine  eyes  and  ears 
have  seen  and  heard  so  much  of  the  appearance  and  fruits 
of  the  late  revival  of  religion,  that  I  must  reject  religion 
altogether,  and  turn  infidel,  if  I  should  dispute  and  oppose 
the  same.  May  it  please  the  gracious  God  to  pardon  those 
unhappy  men  who  have  set  themselves  in  opposition  to  the 
work  of  the  most  high  Grod,  and  painted  it  in  black  and 
odious  colours,  and  let  them  see  their  sin  and  danger  before 
it  be  too  late. 

"  Dear  sir,  I  did  not  think,  when  I  began  to  write,  to 
offer  any  more  than  our  prefatory  attestation;  but  being 
urged  to  mention  something  of  what  I  have  seen  and  heard, 
and  finding  a  pleasure  in  the  subject,  I  have  added,  with 
the  strictest  regard  to  truth  and  soberness,  these  few  hasty 
hints,  concerning  some  matters  of  feet  which  I  know  to  be 
true ;  and  shall  leave  to  your  discretion  to  do  with  them  as 
you  shall  see  meet. 

"  I  am,  sir,  yours,  &c., 

''  Gilbert  Tennent. 

"  August  24,  1744." 


CHAPTER  VII. 


The  Log  College  the  germ  from  which  proceeded  the  College  of  New 
Jersey. 

At  the  time  of  the  disruption  of  the  church,  when 
the  New  Brunswick  Presbytery  was  excluded  by  an 
arbitary  determination  of  the  majority  of  the  Synod, 
the  whole  Presbytery  of  New  York  were  absent.  This 
Presbytery  contained  several  members  of  high  stand- 
ing in  the  church,  such  as  Dickinson  and  Burr ;  and 
although  this  Presbytery  had  not  been  actually  engaged 
in  the  controversy  with  the  ministers  of  Pensylvania 
respecting  the  revival,  and  respecting  Mr.  Whitefield, 
yet  they  sympathized  on  these  subjects  with  the  new 
Brunswick  Presbytery.  They  were,  therefore,  much 
dissatisfied  with  the  proceedings  of  the  Synod  in  the 
excision  of  this  body ;  which,  if  they  had  been  present, 
they  could  probably  have  prevented.  When,  therefore, 
the  Synod  met  the  year  following  the  disruption, 
these  brethren  exerted  themselves  to  get  the  Synod  to 
receive  again  the  excluded  brethren.  When  repeated 
efforts  to  procure  a  restoration  of  the  excluded  breth- 
ren were  without  success,  they  withdrew  from  the 
Synod,  and  connected  themselves  with  the  Presbytery 
of  New  Brunswick  ;  and  these,  with  the  Presbytery  of 
New  Castle,  formed  a  Synod,  and  took  the  name  of  the 
Synod  of  New  York,  which  in  a  short  time  consider- 
ably outnumbered  the  old  Synod. 

The  Log  College,  which  had  done  so  much  and  so 
good  service,  was  now  evidently  on  the  decline.  Its 
venerable  founder,  throiigh  the  infirmities  of  old  age, 
was  no  longer  able  to  act  with  the  energy  of  his  former 
years ;  and,  indeed,  his  strength  had  so  much  failed, 
(76) 


COLLEGE    OFNEW   JERSEY.  '77 

that  soon  after  this  time  he  was  under  the  necessity  of 
applying  to  the  Presbytery  for  aid  in  the  discharge  of 
his  pastoral  duties.  There  was,  therefore,  every  pros- 
pect of  the  speedy  extinction  of  this  humble  school  of 
the  Prophets.  But  the  need  of  a  literary  institution 
of  a  high  character,  where  candidates  for  the  ministry 
might  be  fully  trained,  became  more  evident  every  day. 
The  time  for  the  establishment  of  a  college  in  the 
bounds  of  the  Synod  of  New  York  seemed  to  be  au- 
spicious. While  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia  were 
labouring  to  establish  a  school  for  training  young 
men  at  New  London,  the  Synod  of  New  York  were 
exerting  themselves  to  erect  a  college  which  should 
stand  upon  a  level  with  any  other  institution  in  the 
country. 

Messrs.  Dickinson  and  Burr,  the  former,  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Elizabethtown,  and  the  latter, 
in  Newark,  took  the  lead  in  this  enterprise.  Both 
•these  distinguished  divines  were  graduates  of  Yale 
College ;  but  just  at  this  time  their  minds  probably 
experienced  some  alienation  from  their  alma  mater,  on 
account  of  the  harsh  treatment  which  Mr.  David 
Brainerd  had  received  from  the  oflBcers  of  that  col- 
lege ;  for  he  had  been  expelled  merely  for  a  harsh 
word,  spoken  in  a  private  company,  and  overheard  by 
a  student  who  happened  to  be  passing  the  door,  who 
knew  not  to  whom  it  referred.  But  the  persons  pre- 
sent, contrary  to  every  rule  of  propriety,  were  forced 
by  the  faculty  to  testify  to  whiom  reference  was  had. 
Mr.  Brainerd,  at  the  time  of  his  expulsion,  was  a 
member  of  the  Junior  Class.  Having  applied  to  the 
Presbytery  of  New  York,  he  was  taken  under  their 
care,  and  having  manifested  a  strong  desire  to  go  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  heathen  in  our  land,  the 
Commissioners  appointed  by  the  Society  in  Scotland, 
to  employ  a  missionary  to  the  Indians,  selected  Mr. 
Brainerd.  It  appears  that  President  Clapp,  in  hi3 
letter  to  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  complained  of  the 
New  York  Presbytery  for  receiving  under  their  care 


TS  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

! 

persons  who  had  left  the  college  under  censure ;  where 
the  reference  was  undoubtedly  to  David  Brainerd.  A 
strong  desire  was  now  felt  both  by  Mr.  Brainerd  and 
his  friends  to  get  the  stigma  removed  from  his  char- 
acter. To  effect  this  the  Commissioners  who  had 
employed  Mr.  Brainerd,  deputed  the  Rev.  Mr.  Burr, 
one  of  their  number,  to  go  to  Ncav  Haven  at  the  com- 
mencement, when  his  class  were  about  to  be  graduated, 
to  endeavour  to  have  him  restored.  Jonathan  Ed- 
wards also,  who  then  became  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Brainerd,  and  formed  a  strong  attachment  to  him, 
used  all  his  influence  to  accomplish  the  object;  but 
their  efforts  were  ineffectual.  The  faculty  of  the 
college  remained  inflexible,  or  as  it  may  more  pro- 
perly be  termed,  obstinate.  They  did  offer  that  if  he 
would  return  and  remain  another  year  in  college, 
without  giving  offence,  they  would  then  give  him  his 
degree.  But  this  could  not  be  done  without  discon- 
certing the  whole  plan  of  the  mission  for  which  he 
was  engaged,  and  in  which  he  became  so  eminently 
successful.  The  attachment  of  all  the  members  of 
the  New  York  Synod  to  Mr.  Brainerd  was  warm,  and 
deservedly  so.  This  affair,  it  is  very  probable,  quick- 
ened the  zeal  of  these  excellent  men  to  get  up  a  col- 
lege of  their  own.  Some  years  ago,  the  writer  heard 
the  relict  of  the  late  Dr.  Scott,  of  New  Brunswick, 
say,  that  when  she  was  a  little  girl  she  heard  the 
Bev.  Mr.  Burr  declare  in  her  father's  house,  in  New- 
ark, "if  it  had  not  been  for  the  treatment  received 
by  Mr.  Brainerd  at  Yale,  New  Jersey  college  would 
never  have  been  erected."  How  many  influences  are 
made  to  combine  and  operate,  when  Providence  has 
the  design  of  giving  existence  to  an  institution  which 
has  affected,  and  will  still  affect  the  happiness  of 
thousands  ! 

It  was  a  circumstance  favourable  to  the  views  of  the 
friends  of  a  new  college,  that  Mr.  Belcher,  a  man  of 
humble  piety,  and  great  public  spirit,  was  then  the  act- 
ing governor  of  New  Jersey.     It  was,  therefore,  not 


COLLEGE    OF    NEW   JERSEY.  79 

found  difficult  to  enlist  the  zeal  and  exertions  of  this 
excellent  man  in  the  contemplated  enterprise. 

The  first  charter  for  a  college  which  was  obtained 
was  not  satisfactory  to  governor  Belcher,  and  he  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  from  the  royal  authority,  the  very 
ample  charter  under  which  the  college  is  now  governed 
and  instructed.  Mr.  Edwards  refers  to  this  matter,  in 
a  letter  addressed  to  the  Rev.  Doctor  Erskine,  of  Edin- 
burgh, who  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  enterprise,  and 
requested  some  information  respecting  the  prospects 
of  the  college. 

"  You  desire  to  be  informed  respecting  the  present 
state  of  New  Jersey  College,  and  of  things  of  a  reli- 
gious nature  respecting  the  Indians.  As  to  the  former, 
viz.,  the  state  of  New  Jersey  college ;  by  the  last  ac- 
counts I  had,  it  is  in  somewhat  of  an  unsettled  state. 
Governor  Belcher  had  a  mind  to  give  them  a  new 
charter,  that  he  thought  would  be  more  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  society.  Accordingly  the  draft  of  a  new 
charter  was  drawn,  wherein  it  was  proposed  to  make 
considerable  alteration  in  the  corporation  of  trustees 
— to  leave  out  some  of  the  former  trustees,  and  that 
the  governor  and  four  of  the  council  of  that  province 
should  be  put  in  their  place.  These  two  things  made 
considerable  uneasiness,  viz.,  leaving  out  part  of  the 
trustees,  and  making  it  a  part  of  the  constitution, 
that  the  governor  and  so  many  of  the  council  should 
be  members  of  the  corporation  .  ...  As  to  governor 
Belcher  himself,  he  appears  thoroughly  engaged  to 
promote  virtue  and  vital  religion  in  those  parts.  The 
disposition  of  governor  Belcher  may  in  some  measure 
be  seen  in  the  following  extract  of  a  letter  from  him,  in 
answer  to  one  I  wrote  to  him  on  a  special  occasion. 

Burlington,  New  Jersey,  Feb.  5th,  1748. 

"  '  You  will,  sir,  be  sure  of  me  as  a  friend  and  father  to 
the  missionaries  this  way ;  and  of  all  my  might  and  en- 
couragemeut  for  spreading  the  everlasting  gospel  of  God  our  • 


80  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

Saviour,  in  all  parts  and  places  where  God  shall  honour  me 
with  any  power  and  influence.  As  tp  myself,  sir,  it  is  im- 
possible to  express  the  warm  sentiments  of  my  heart,  for 
the  mercies,  without  number,  with  which  I  have  been  loaded 
by  the  God  who  has  fed  me  all  along  to  this  day ;  and  my 
reflection  on  his  goodness  covers  me  with  shame  and  blush- 
ing, for  I  know  my  utter  unworthiness,  and  that  I  am  less 
than  the  least  of  all  his  mercies.  I  would,  therefore,  abhor 
myself,  and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes.  You  are  sensible, 
my  good  friend,  that  governors  stand  in  a  glaring  light, 
and  their  conduct  is  watched  by  friends  and  enemies ;  the 
.one  often  unreasonably  applaud,  while  the  other,  perhaps, 
too  justly  censure.  Yet  in  this  I  am  not  anxious,  but  to 
approve  myself  to  the  Searcher  of  hearts,  from  whose  mouth 
I  must  hear  pronounced,  at  the  great  and  general  audit, 
those  joyful  words,  '  Enter  thou,'  &c. ',  or  that  terrible  sen- 
tence, '  Depart  from  me,'  &c.  Join  me  then  in  thankful- 
ness to  God  for  all  the  blessings  and  talents  he  has  entrusted 
me  with,  and  in  prayer  that  I  may  employ  them  to  his  honour 
and  glory,  to  the.  good  of  the  people  over  whom  he  hath  placed 
me,  and  so  to  the  comfort  of  my  own  soul;  that  1  may 
always  remember,  that  he  who  ruleth  over  men  must  be 
just,  ruling  in  the  fear  of  God.'  " 


Mr,  Edwards  goes  on  to  say  to  his  correspondent, 
"In  another  letter  which  I  received,  dated  Bm-lington, 
New  Jersey,  May  31,  1748,  he  says  as  follows : 

" '  I  will  prostrate  myself  before  my  God  and  Saviour,  and 
on  the  bended  knees  of  my  soul  (abhorring  myself  in  every 
view)  I  will  beg  for  a  measure  of  divine  grace  and  wisdom ; 
that  so  I  may  be  honoured  in  being  an  instrument  in  ad- 
vancing the  kingdom  of  the  blessed  Jesus  in  this  world,  and 
in  that  way  be  bringing  forth  fruit  in  old  age.  I  bless  God, 
my  Heavenly  Father,  that  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  cross  of 
Christ;  and  I  humbly  ask  the  assistance  of  sovereign  grace 
that  in  times  of  temptation  I  may  never  be  a  shame  to  it ;  I 
mean,  that  my  conversation  may  always  be  such  as  becometh 
the  gospel  of  Christ.  And  I  tell  you  again,  that  all  such 
as  minister  at  the  altar,  and  in  the  course  of  their  ministry 
approve  themselves  faithful  to  the  great  Head  of  the  Church, 


COLLEGE  OF  NEW  JERSEY.         81 

will  not  only  find  my  countenance  and  protection,  but  my 
love  and  esteem. 

"  <  As  to  our  embryo  college,  it  is  a  noble  design,  and,  if 
God  pleases,  may  prove  an  extensive  blessing.  I  have 
adopted  it  for  a  daughter,  and  hope  it  may  become  an  alma 
mater  to  this  and  the  neighbouring  provinces.  I  am  getting 
the  best  advice  and  assistance  I  can  in  the  draft  of  a  char- 
ter, which  I  intend  to  give  to  our  infant  college;  and  I 
thank  you,  sir,  for  all  the  kind  hints  which  you  have  given 
me  for  the  service  of  this  excellent  undertaking ;  and  as  St. 
Luke  says  of  Mary,  'she  l-ept  all  thse  things  and jiondercd 
them  in  her  heart,'  so  you  may  depend  what  you  have  said 
about  the  college  will  not  be  lost  on  me ;  but  as  far  as  God 
shall  enable  me,  I  will  lay  out  and  exert  myself  in  every  way 
to  bring  it  to  maturity,  and  thus  to  advance  its  future  wel- 
fare and  prosperity ;  for  this,  I  believe,  will  be  acceptable 
in  the  sight  of  God  our  Saviour,  a  relish  for  true  religion  and 
piety  being  a  great  stranger  to  this  part  of  America.  The 
accounts  I  receive  from  time  to  time,  give  me  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  Arminiani^m,  Ariauism,  and  even  Sociniauism,  in 
destruction  of  the  doctrines  of  free  grace,  are  daily  propa- 
gated in  the  New  England  colleges.  How  horribly  and  how 
wickedly  are  these  poisonous  notions  rooting  out  those  no- 
ble principles  on  which  our  excellent  ancestors  founded  those 
seminaries !  And  how  base  a  return  is  it  in  the  present  ge- 
neration to  that  God  who  is  constantly  surrounding  them 
with  goodness  and  mercy.  And  how  offensive  is  it  in  the 
eyes  of  that  God  who  is  jealous  of  his  glory,  and  will  take 
vengeance  on  his  adversaries,  and  rcserveth  wrath  for  his  ene- 
mies. And  from  these  things  I  am  glad  to  thank  you  for 
your  book,  wrote  in  consequence  of  the  memorial  from  Scot- 
land for  promoting  a  concert  of  prayer.  I  am  much  pleased 
with  this  proposal,  and  with  your  arguments  to  encourage 
and  corroborate  the  design.  The  two  missionaries  you 
mention,  Spencer  and  Strong,  I  am  told  are  at  Boston.  I 
have  once  and  again  desired  Mr.  Brainerd  to  assure  them  of 
my  kindness  and  respect.  But  their  affairs  have  not  yet 
led  them  this  way.  I  rejoice  in  their  being  appointed  to 
carry  the  gospel  in  its  purity  to  the  Six  Nations  ;  and  when 
Mr.  Brainerd  and  they  proceed  to  Susquehanna,  they  shall 
have  all  my  assistance  and  encouragement,  by  letters  to 
the  king's  governors  where  they  may  pass,  and  my  letters 
to  the  sachem  or  chief  of  those  Indians.'  " 


82  THELOGCOLLEGE. 

•  It  has  been  judged  expedient  to  insert  both  these 
letters  in  our  account  of  the  origin  of  New  Jersey  Col- 
lege, as  they  will  serve  to  give  the  reader  a  better  idea 
of  the  father  and  founder  of  this  institution  than  any 
thing  to  which  we  can  refer  him.  For  although  the 
character  of  governor  Belcher  has  come  down  to  us 
marked  with  piety  and  benevolence,  these  are  the  only 
memorials  of  the  man  from  his  own  pen  with  which  we 
are  acquainted.  But  from  these  fragments  of  corres- 
pondence we  see  how  deep  was  his  humility,  how  fer- 
vent his  zeal  for  the  promotion  of  truth  and  piety,  and 
his  willingness  to  bear  the  reproach  of  the  cross.  And 
as  to  his  public  spirit  in  promoting  the  cause  of  virtue 
and  literature,  the  College  of  New  Jersey  is  a  standing 
memorial.  The  good  already  accomplished  by  this  Col- 
lege cannot  be  calculated,  and  we  trust  that  it  is  des- 
tined to  be  a  blessing  to  the  community  for  ages  to 
come. 

We  seem,  however,  to  have  lost  sight  of  the  design 
of  this  chapter,  which  was  to  show  that  the  Log  Col- 
lege was  the  germ  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey.  But 
a  little  consideration  will  serve  to  convince  the  impartial 
reader  of  the  reality  of  this  connection.  The  Log  Col- 
lege had  done  its  work,  and  a  great  and  good  work  it 
was.  But  the  progress  of  the  country,  the  proceedings 
of  the  old  Synod,  and  the  general  sense  of  the  commu- 
nity, made  it  evident  that  a  literary  institution  of  a 
higher  order  than  the  log  cabin,  on  the  plains  of  Nes- 
haminy,  was  urgently  needed ;  and  the  members  of  the 
new  Synod  Avere,  no  doubt,  stimulated  to  exertion  in 
this  enterprise  by  the  example  of  the  other  body,  who 
were  now  engaged  in  establishing  a  school  at  New 
London. 

The  ministers  who  now  exerted  tliemselves  in  the 
establishment  of  the  New  Jersey  College  were  all  the 
friends  of  the  Log  College ;  and  most  of  them  had  re- 
ceived their  training,  both  in  cUissical  and  theological 
learning,  within  the  Avails  of  this  humble  institution. 
Besides  Dickinson  and  Burr,  who  were  graduates  of 


COLLEGE    OP    NEW   JERSEY.  83 

Yale  College,  the  active  friends  and  founders  of  Nas- 
sau Hall  were  the  Tennents,  Blairs,  Finley,  Smith, 
Rogers,  Davies,  and  others  who  had  received  their 
education  in  the  Log  College,  or  in  schools  instituted 
by  those  who  had  been  instructed  there.  As  this  en- 
terprise was  entered  on  during  the  separation  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  those  ministers  connected  with 
the  old  side  took  no  part  in  it;  and  this,  especially, 
because  they  had  planned  an  institution  for  themselves, 
of  which  we  propose  to  give  some  account  in  the  ensu- 
ing chapter. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  write  the  history  of  the  Nevr 
Jersey  College;  this  will  be  done  by  another  hand. 
This  institution  was  commenced  in  Elizabethtown, 
under  its  first  President,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Dickinson, 
a  man  of  superior  abilities  both  as  a  preacher  and  a 
writer,  and  truly  evangelical ;  a  friend  of  revivals,  and 
a  zealous  promoter  of  missions  among  the  aborigines 
of  this  country.  He  deserves  to  stand  in  the  foremost 
rank  among  the  fathers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
these  United  States.  Upon  his  decease  the  school 
Avas  removed  to  Newark,  and  placed  under  the  tuition 
and  care  of  the  Rev.  Aaron  Burr,  another  distinguished 
man,  whose  piercing  intellect  and  commanding  elo- 
quence qualified  him  to  be  a  leader  in  such  an  enter- 
prise. No  permanent  site  for  the  college  had  yet  been 
selected.  Elizabethtown  and  Newark  were  too  near 
the  borders  of  the  State ;  New  Brunswick  was  thought 
of,  and  the  trustees  came  near  fixing  it  there;  but 
Providence  overruled  it,  and  Princeton,  then  a  very 
small  and  inconsiderable  \allage,  was  selected  to  be  the 
seat  of  a  college  Avhich  has  always  been  dear  to  a  large 
portion  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Here  a  large 
number  of  her  sons  received  their  education ;  for  after 
the  union  of  the  two  dissentient  parties,  in  1753, 
nearly  all  candidates  for  the  ministry,  in  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  finished  their  education  in  Nassau  Hall. 
And  to  this  day  no  literary  institution  enjoys  more 
favour  and  is  held  in  higher  estimation  than  this  vene- 


84  THE     LOG    COLLEGE. 

rable  college.  May  her  trustees  and  instructers  never 
forget  the  principles  on  which  the  institution  was 
founded. 

A  venerable  friend,*  in  conversing  with  the  writer  on 
the  subject  of  the  Log  College,  observed  that  this 
humble  institution  was  not  only  the  germ  of  New  Jer- 
sey College,  but  several  other  colleges,  which  have 
been  useful  to  the  church  and  state,  and  have  risen 
to  high  estimation  in  the  country  ;  and  mentioned  Jef- 
ferson, Hampden  Sidney,  and  Washington  College  in 
Virginia  ;  all  which  were  founded  and  taught  originally 
by  students  from  Princeton.  And  we  need  not  stop 
here,  for  these  in  their  turn  have  given  rise  to  many 
other  schools  and  colleges,  where  the  same  system  of 
education,  and  the  same  principles  of  religion  are 
adopted.  Thus  we  see  how  much  good  may  arise  from 
a  small  beginning.  As  the  stately  oak  originated  in  a 
small  acorn,  so  an  obscure  school  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest  becomes  a  nursery,  from  which  proceed,  not 
only  eminent  men,  but  other  and  higher  schools  of 
learning,  by  which  our  country  is  enlightened  and 
adorned.  Let  this  fact  encourage  all  who  have  it  in 
their  power,  to  institute  good  schools  of  useful  and 
solid  learning,  and  to  be  liberal  in  encouraging  and 
endowing  academies  and  colleges,  and  aiding  poor 
scholars  who  possess  talents  to  acquire  a  liberal 
education. 

If  our  free  institutions  are  long  preserved,  it  will  be 
by  the  means,  under  Providence,  of  religion  and  learn- 
ing. Without  the  benign  influence  of  knowledge  and 
virtue,  a  free  republican  government  cannot  long  exist ; 
and  without  the  influence  of  religion  and  good  educa- 
tion, men  are  not  fit  for  such  freedom ,  as  is  now 
enjoyed  under  our  free  and  happy  government.  The 
immigration  of  so  many  thousand  foreigners  into  our 
country,  renders  it  doubly  necessary  to  exert  every 
nerve  to  diSuse  knowledge  and  sound  principles  of 
religion  among  the  people.    Let  us  have  public  schools, 

*  Rev.  Matthew  Brown,  D.  D. 


COLLEGE    OF    NEW  JERSEY.  85 

supported  by  the  state,  normal  schools  for  the  educa- 
tion of  teachers,  and  parochial  schools,  in  Avhich  every 
denomination  may  inculcate  that  religion  which  they 
believe  to  be  founded  in  truth.  Evangelical  Christiana 
need  not  contend  about  what  shall  be  taught  in 
schools,  for  if  those  truths  in  which  they  are  all 
agreed,  shall  be  faithfully  inculcated  on  our  youth, 
there  will  not  be  any  very  glaring  defect  in  the  system 
of  religious  instruction.  Those  points  in  which  they 
differ  may  be  reserved  for  their  consideration  at  a 
riper  age.  But  let  the  Bible  he  the  text-hook  in  every 
school,  whether  high  or  low. 

8 


CHAPTER  VIIL 


THE    NEW    LONDON    SCHOOL. 


Synod  of  Philadelphia  establish  a  School — Located  at  New  London — Mr. 
Alison  the  first  Teacher — Negotiation  with  Yale  College — Letter  to 
President  Clapp — Synod  of  New  York  form  the  enterprise  of  establish- 
ing a  College. 

As  we  have  given  a  brief  history  of  the  Log  College, 
the  first  school  erected  within  the  bounds  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Chui-ch  in  tliis  country,  and  also  of  the 'New 
Jersey  College,  of  which  it  was  the  germ,  it  will  not 
be  considered  an  unsuitable  digression  to  say  some- 
thing of  another  school,  which  was  established  by  the 
Synod  of  Philadelphia,  after  the  rupture  which  has 
been  described  took  place.  The  want  of  an  institu- 
tion of  classical  and  scientific  education  was  deeply 
felt ;  but  what  course  to  pursue  was  a  problem  not  easy 
to  be  solved.  The  Log  College  had  been  in  successful 
operation  about  fifteen  years  before  the  exclusion  of 
the  New  Brunswick  Presbytery ;  but  it  appears,  from 
the  statement  of  a  former  chapter,  that  it  had  never 
given  general  satisfaction  to  the  Synod.  And  now 
this  school  and  all  its  friends  and  supporters  were 
separated  from  the  Synod ;  so  that  the  need  of  a 
school,  where  candidates  might  obtain  at  least  the 
ground-work  of  a  liberal  education,  was  felt  to  be 
urgent.  This  matter,  therefore,  became  the  subject 
of  frequent  deliberation  and  mutual  consultation  among 
the  ministers.  A  public  meeting  Avas  at  length  agreed 
upon,  and  the  business  was  entered  upon  in  good  ear- 
nest. The  Presbyteries  of  Philadelphia,  New  Castle, 
(86) 


THE  NEW  LONDON  SCHOOL.        87 

and  Donegal,  appointed  certain  of  their  members  to 
meet  in  the  Great  Valley,  Nov,  16,  1743,  to  take  into 
consideration  the  subject  of  a  plan  for  educating  young 
men  for  the  holy  ministry.  After  conference  and 
deliberation,  they  resolved  that  this  business  could  not 
be  properly  managed  unless  the  Synod  would  under- 
take it ;  they  therefore  referred  the  further  consider- 
ation of  the  subject  to  that  reverend  body,  but  agreed 
that  in  the  mean  time  a  school  should  be  opened  for 
the  education  of  youth.  When  this  matter,  the  en- 
suing year,  was  brought  before  the  Synod,  they  adopted 
the  plan  as  their  own,  and  took  the  school  under  their 
care,  and  agreed  upon  the  following  plan  for  carrying 
it  on. 

'"1.  That  there  be  a  school  kept  open  where  all  per- 
sons who  please  may  send  their  children,  and  be  there 
instructed  gratis,  in  the  languages,  philosophy,  and 
divinity. 

"  2.  In  order  to  carry  on  this  design,  it  is  agreed  that 
every  congregation  under  our  care  be  applied  to  for 
yearly  contributions,  more  or  less,  as  they  can  afford, 
and  as  God  may  incline  them  to  contribute,  until  Pro- 
vidence open  the  door  for  our  supporting  the  school  in 
some  other  way. 

"  3.  That  if  any  thing  can  be  spared  besides  what  is 
required  to  support  a  master  and  tutor,  that  it  be  em- 
ployed by  the  trustees,  in  buying  books  and  other 
necessaries  for  said  school,  and  for  the  benefit  of  it, 
as  the  trustees  shall  see  proper. 

"  And  Mr.  Alison  is  chosen  master  of  said  school, 
and  has  the  privilege  of  choosing  an  usher  under  him, 
to  assist  him ;  and  the  said  Mr.  Alison  is  exempted 
from  all  public  business,  save  only  attending  church 
judicatories,  and  what  concerns  his  particular  pastoral 
charge.  And  the  Synod  agree  to  allow  Mr.  Alison 
twenty  pounds  per  annum,  and  the  usher  fifteen 
pounds."  They  then  proceeded  to  appoint  from  their 
own  body  trustees  for  the  management  of  the  affairs 
of  the  school.     To  these  trustees  it  belonged  to  visit 


88  THELOGCOLLEGE. 

the  school,  and  direct  the  whole  course  of  instruction, 
and  to  report  to  the  Synod  the  condition  of  the  school. 
(See  Records  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  p.  174.) 

From  what  is  here  stated,  it  appears  that  Mr.  Alison 
was  the  pastor  of  a  church,  and  consequently  the  school 
was  situated  in  his  own  vicinity.  Where  he  received 
his  education  is  not  known  to  the  writer,  but  it  seems 
probable  that  he  came  over  a  probationer  ;  for  we  have 
an  account  of  his  ordination  in  the  Records  referred  to 
above,  but  no  account  of  his  licensure.  Doubtless  he 
stood  very  high  as  a  scholar  in  the  opinion  of  the 
Synod ;  and  from  the  tradition  which  has  come  down 
respecting  him,  he  was  a  very  accomplished  man.  The 
estimation  in  which  he  was  held  as  a  scholar  may  be 
also  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  was  invited  to  take 
charge  of  an  academy,  instituted  in  Philadelphia,  over 
which  he  presided  for  many  years. 

The  Synod  of  Philadelphia  had  now  a  school  under 
their  own  care,  and  an  able  teacher;  but  as  they  had 
manifested  so  great  a  reluctance  to  receive  the  pupils 
of  Mr.  Tennent's  school,  without  a  better  education 
than  could  be  afforded  by  a  grammar-school,  they 
could  not  for  consistency's  sake  be  satisfied  with  the 
course  of  instruction  in  their  own  school,  where  there 
were  no  more  professors  than  in  the  Log  College. 
They,  therefore,  thought  of  a  plan  of  sending  their 
young  men,  for  a  short  period,  to  Yale  College,  to  re- 
ceive a  diploma,  if  they  could  make  an  arrangement 
with  the  faculty  and  trustees  of  the  college  that  would 
suit  them.  Messrs.  Andrews  and  Cross  were  appointed 
to  write  a  letter  to  the  president  and  corporation  of 
the  aforesaid  college.  This  letter  is  not  on  record ; 
neither  is  President  Clapp's  answer.  But  on  receiving 
his  letter  they  appointed  a  large  committee  to  prepare 
a  letter  in  answer,  which  is  preserved  in  the  Records 
of  the  Church,  (pp.  185,  186,  187.)  This  letter  has 
been  several  times  referred  to,  and  is  an  important 
document  to  cast  light  on  the  aiVairs  of  the  church  at 
tliat  time  and  before  the  schism.     Several  things  stated 


THE  NEW  LONDON  SCHOOL.        89 

as  facts,  in  this  narrative,  depend  for  their  authority 
on  this  letter.  It  will  he  proper,  therefore,  to  lay  a 
considerable  part  of  it  before  the  reader.  It  serves  to 
show  what  views  the  Synod  entertained  of  the  Log 
College,  and  what  steps  they  had  taken  to  establish  a 
school  under  the  superintendence  of  the  Synod. 

As  we  have  neither  the  letter  Avritten  by  the  Synod 
to  President  Clapp,  nor  his  answer,  the  precise  nature 
of  the  application  niade  cannot  now  be  ascertained, 
but  from  the  reply  to  President  Clapp's  letter,  which 
is  on  record,  we  may  learn  generally  what  the  request 
or  proposal  was  which  they  made.  In  this  letter,  dated 
May  30,  1746,  they  express  their  thanks  to  the  presi- 
dent and  fellows  of  Yale  College,  for  considering  their 
request,  and  expressing  a  readiness  to  promote  the  in- 
terests of  learning  and  religion  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  It  appears,  how'ever,  that  President  Clapp 
wished  for  more  particular  information  respecting  the 
synodical  school,  and  also  the  present  state  of  the 
Synod.  In  answer  to  his  inquiries  they  say :  "  Some 
years  ago  our  Synod  found  the  interest  of  Christ's 
kingdom  likely  to  suffer  in  these  parts  for  want  of  a 
college  for  the  education  of  young  men.  And  our 
supplies  from  Europe,  or  New  England,  were  few  in 
proportion  to  the  numerous  vacancies  in  our  growing 
settlements.  Mr.  William  Tennent  set  up  a  school 
among  us,  where  some  were  educated,  and  afterwards 
admitted  to  the  ministry,  witJiout  sufficient  qualifica- 
tions, as  IV as  judged  hy  many  of  the  Synod.  And  what 
made  the  matter  look  worse,  those  that  were  educated 
in  this  private  way  denied  the  usefulness  of  some  parts 
of  learning  that  we  thought  very  necessary.  It  was 
therefore  agreed  to  try  to  institute  a  college,  and  apply 
to  our  friends  in  Britain,  Ireland,  and  New  England, 
to  assist  us.  We  wrote  to  the  Association  of  Boston 
on  this  head,  and  had  a  very  favourable  answer.  But 
when  we  were  thus  projecting  our  plan,  and  appointing 
commissioners  to  Britain,  &c.,  to  promote  the  thing, 
the  war  with  Spain  was  proclaimed,  which  put  a  stop 
8* 


90  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

to  our  proceedings  then.     The  Synod  then  came  to  a 
public   agreement  to  take  all  private  schools,  where 
young   men  were    educated  for   the  ministry,   so   far 
under  their  care  as  to   appoint  a  committee  of   our 
Synod  to  examine  all  such  as  had  not  obtained  degrees 
in  the  European  or  New  England  colleges,  and  give 
them  certificates  if   they  were  found  qualified,  which 
was  to  serve  our  Presbyteries  instead  of  a  college  di- 
ploma till  better  provision  could  be  made.    Mr.  Gilbert 
Tennent  cried  out  that  this  was  to  prevent  his  father's 
school  from  training  gracious  men  for  the  ministry; 
and  he  and  some  of  his  adherents  protested  against  it, 
and  counteracted  this  our  public  agreement,  admitting 
men  to  the  ministry  which  were  judged  unfit  for  that 
office ;  which  course  they  persisted  in,  though  admon- 
ished and  reproved  by  us  for  such  unwarrantable  pro- 
ceedings.    While  these  debates  subsisted,  Mr.  White- 
field  came  into  the  country,  whom  they  drew  into  their 
party  to  encourage  divisions ;  and  they  and  he  have 
been   the   sad  instruments  of  dividing  our  churches. 
And  by  his  interest,  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent  grew  hardy 
enough  to  tell  our  Synod  he  would  oppose  their  design 
of  getting  assistance  to  erect  a  college  wherever  we 
should  make   application,  and  would  maintain  young 
men  at  his  father's  school  in  opposition  to  us.     This, 
with  his  and  his  adherents'  divisive  practices,  obliged 
the  Synod  to  exclude  him  and  others  of  his  stamp  from, 
their  communion.     In  this  situation  our  affairs  grew 
worse ;  for  our  vacancies  were  numerous,  and  we  found 
it  hard   in  such   troubles  to  engage  gentlemen  from 
New  England  or  Europe  to  come  among  us,  such  as 
our  best  friends  in  those  places  could  recommend  as 
steadfast  in  the  faith,  and  men  of  parts  and  education. 
Upon  this  the  Synod  erected  a  school  in  1744.     It 
was  agreed  that  the  said  school  should  be  opened  under 
the  inspection  of  the  Synod,  where  the  languages,  phi- 
losophy and  divinity   should  be  taught  gratis  to  all 
that  should  comply  with  the  regulations  of  the  school, 
being  persons  of  good  character  and  behaviour.     They 


THE    NEW   LONDON    SCHOOL.  91 

appointed  a  master  and  a  tutor  for  this  business,  who 
were  to  be  paid  by  such  contributions  as  the  Synod 
could  obtain  for  this  purpose ;  and  agreed  from  year  to 
year  to  appoint  trustees  to  meet  twice  a  year  to  inspect 
the  master's  diligence  and  method  of  teaching,  and 
direct  what  authors  are  chiefly  to  be  read  in  tlie  seve- 
ral branches  of  learning ;  to  examine  the  scholars  as  to 
their  proficiency  and  good  conduct ;  apply  the  money 
procured  to  such  uses  as  they  judge  proper;  and  who 
order  all  affairs  relating  to  the  school.  The  trustees 
are  yearly  to  be  accountable  to  the  Synod,  and  to 
make  report  of  their  proceedings  and  state  of  the 
school.  And  it  is  agreed,  that  after  the  said  scholars 
pass  the  course  of  study  prescribed  them,  they  shall 
be  publicly  examined  by  the  said  trustees,  and  such 
ministers  as  the  Synod  shall  think  fit  to  appoint." 

We  are  not  informed  that  this  negotiation  with  the 
president  of  Yale  College  resulted  in  anything  practi- 
cal. It  does  not  appear  that  the  Synod  ever  sent  any 
of  their  young  men  to  Yale  College  to  finish  their  edu- 
cation. Indeed,  the  necessity  for  such  a  measure  soon 
passed  away,  as  the  College  of  New  Jersey  in  a  short 
time  after  this  was  instituted,  and  rapidly  rose  into 
credit.  Dr.  Alison,  the  principal  of  their  school  at 
New  London,  was  invited  to  Philadelphia,  to  take 
charge  of  an  academy,  which  a  number  of  gentlemen 
had  erected  in  that  city.  It  was  not  long  before  this 
academy  was  constituted  a  college,  in  which  Dr.  Ali- 
son was  appointed  the  vice-provost  and  professor  of 
Moral  Philosophy.  To  this  institution  the  young  men 
belonging  to  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia  directed  their 
attention,  and  here  they  commonly  finished  their  edu- 
cation. But  after  the  union  of  the  two  Synods,  in  1758, 
candidates  from  all  the  Presbyteries  were  accustomed 
to  resort  to  New  Jersey  College ;  especially  after  Dr. 
Witherspoon  became  the  president. 

Mr.  Alison's  departure  from  the  Synod's  school  at 
New  London  seems  to  have  been  its  death-blow.    From 


92  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

the  Records  of  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  it  appears 
that  Dr.  Alison  relinquished  his  station  without  receiv- 
ing the  approbation,  either  of  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Castle,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  or  of  the  Synod. 
His  course  was  viewed  as  irregular  by  the  Synod,  but 
they  were  well  satisfied  with  the  thing  itself ;  and  when 
they  met,  a  reference  from  the  Presbytery  of  New  Castle 
was  laid  before  them,  relative  to  this  matter,  when  the 
following  minute  was  adopted  and  placed  on  record, 
viz:  "The  Synod  having  deliberately  considered  the 
affair  of  Mr.  Alison's  removal  to  Philadelphia,  referred 
to  them  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  Castle,  judge  that  the 
method  he  used  is  contrary  to  the  Presbyterian  plan. 
Yet,  considering  the  circumstances  which  urged  him  to 
take  the  method  he  used  were  very  pressing,  and  that  it 
was  indeed  almost  impracticable  to  him  to  apply  for  the 
consent  of  Presbytery  or  Synod,  in  the  orderly  way ; 
and  further,  being  persuaded  that  Mr.  Alison's  being 
employed  in  such  a  station  in  the  academy  has  a  favour- 
able aspect  in  several  respects,  and  a  very  probable 
tendency  not  only  to  promote  the  good  of  the  public, 
but  also  of  the  church,  as  he  may  be  serviceable  to  the 
interests  thereof,  in  teaching  philosophy  and  divinity, 
as  far  as  his  obligations  to  the  academy  will  permit, 
we  judge  that  his  proceedings  in  said  affair  are  in  a 
great  measure  excusable.  Withal,  the  Synod  advises 
that  for  the  future  its  members  be  very  cautious,  and 
guard  against  such  proceedings  as  are  contrary  to  our 
known  and  approved  methods  in  such  cases." 

As  we  are  not  aware  that  any  memoir  of  Dr.  Francis 
Alison  has  been  published  ;  and  as  he  was  one  of  the 
most  accomplished  scholars  who  has  adorned  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  these  United  States,  it  seems  de- 
sirable to  preserve  his  memory  from  utter  oblivion,  by 
giving  a  large  extract  from  the  funeral  sermon  preached 
on  occasion  of  his  death,  by  his  friend  and  successor, 
the  Rev.  John  Ewing,  D.  D.  Dr.  Alison  died  Nov. 
29,  1777,  in  Pliiladclphia,  where  he  had  long  resided. 


THE  NEW  LONDON  SCHOOL.       93 

"  This  discourse  administers  comfort  and  consolation 
iindor  the  loss  of  our  pious  friends  and  relations,  who  have 
died  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  had  a  just  foundation 
to  entertain  the  hope  of  a  glorious  immortality.  Whatever 
reasons  wo  have  to  mourn  under  the  loss  we  sustain,  by 
being  deprived  of  their  counsel,  their  prayers,  or  their  con- 
versation ;  yet  we  have  no  reason  to  be  grieved  on  account 
of  the  exchange  they  have  made,  of  a  world  of  sin  and  sor- 
row for  joys  inconceivable  and  full  of  glory.  They  have 
fought  the  good  fight  of  faith ;  they  have  finished  their 
course  ;  they  are  discharged  from  the  Christian  warfare,  and 
are  exalted  to  an  unfading  crown  of  righteousness  and  glory. 
These  considerations  afford  consolation  to  the  church  of 
God,  and  to  all  its  members,  when  those  who  were  stationed 
by  its  glorious  Head,  as  watchmen  upon  her  walls,  are  re- 
moved by  death ;  and  particularly  under  the  heavy  stroke 
which  the  interests  of  religion  and  learning  this  day  feel 
in  America,  by  the  much  lamented  death  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Francis  Alison. 

"  However  the  partialities  of  friendship  for  the  deceased 
have  carried  funeral  eulogies  to  a  very  exceptionable  and  un- 
justifiable length  on  many  occasions,  yet  I  am  persuaded 
that  you  will  readily  acknowledge  that  there  is  but  little 
danger  of  an  extreme  of  this  kind,  in  paying  this  tribute  to 
the  memory  of  a  man  whose  private  virtues  commanded  the 
esteem  of  all  that  knew  him,  and  whose  extensive  public 
usefulness  had  erected  a  lasting  monument  to  his  praise.  To 
be  silent  on  this  occasion,  would  argue  an  unpardonable  in- 
sensibility to  the  interests  of  religion  and  learning,  and 
would  be  an  instance  of  injustice  to  the  man,  who  for  more 
than  forty  years  has  supported  the  ministerial  character 
with  dignity  and  reputation,  and  to  whom  America  is  greatly 
indebted  for  that  diffusion  of  light  and  knowledge,  and  that 
spirit  of  liberty  and  inquiry  which  this  day  places  many  of 
her  sons  upon  a  level  with  those  of  the  oldest  nations  of 
Europe.  All  who  knew  him  acknowledge  that  he  was  frank, 
open,  and  ingenuous  in  his  natural  temper ;  warm  and  zeal- 
ous in  his  friendships ;  catholic  and  enlarged  in  his  senti- 
ments ;  a  friend  to  civil  and  religious  liberty ;  abhorring  the 
intolerant  spirit  of  persecution,  bigotry,  and  superstition, 
together  with  all  the  arts  of  dishonesty  and  deceit.  His 
humanity  and  compassion  led  him  to  spare  no  pains  nor 


y4  TIIELOGCOLLEGE. 

trouble  in  relieving  and  assisting  the  poor  and  distressed,  by 
his  advice  and  influence,  or  by  his  own  private  liberality ; 
and  he  has  left  behind  him  a  lasting  testimony  of  the  ex- 
tensive benevolence  of  his  heart  in  planning,  erecting,  and 
nursing,  with  constant  attention  and  tenderness,  the  chari- 
table scheme  of  the  widows'  fund,  by  which  many  helpless 
orphans  and  destitute  widows  have  been  seasonably  relieved 
and  supported ;  and  will,  we  trust,  continue  to  be  relieved 
and  supported  so  long  as  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  Phila- 
delphia shall  exist. 

"  Blessed  with  a  clear  understanding,  and  an  extensive 
liberal  education;  thirsting  for  knowledge,  and  indefatiga- 
ble in  study  through  the  whole  of  his  useful  life,  he  ac- 
quired an  unusual  fund  of  learning  and  knowledge,  which 
rendered  his  conversation  remarkably  instructive,  and  abund- 
antly qualified  him  for  the  sacred  work  of  the  ministrj',  and 
the  painful  instruction  of  youth  in  the  college.  He  was 
truly  a  scribe  well  instructed  unto  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  a 
workman  that  needed  not  to  be  ashamed,  for  he  rightly 
divided  the  word  of  truth,  and  was  peculiarly  skilful  in  giving 
to  every  one  his  portion  in  due  season.  In  his  public  ex- 
hibitions he  was  warm,  animated,  plain,  practical,  argumen- 
tative, and  pathetic  ;  and  he  has  left  a  testimony  in  the  con- 
sciences of  thousands,  who  attended  upon  his  ministry',  that 
be  was  willing  to  spend  and  be  spent  to  promote  their  salva- 
tion, and  that  he  failed  not  to  declare  to  them  the  whole 
counsel  of  God,  while  he  endeavoured  to  save  himself  and 
those  that  heard  him.  And  we  have  reason  to  hope,  that 
the  bountiful  Redeemer,  whom  he  served  in  his  spirit,  has 
greatly  honoured  him  by  making  him  instrumental  in  the 
salvation  of  many,  who  shall  be  the  crown  of  his  rejoicing 
in  the  day  of  the  Lord.  His  solicitude  for  the  interests  of 
the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  and  his  desires  to  engage  young 
men  in  the  sacred  work  of  the  ministry,  and  to  promote  the 
public  happiness,  by  the  diffusion  of  religious  liberty  and 
learning  through  the  once  untutored  wilds  of  America,  induced 
.him  to  open  a  public  school  in  New  London,  about  thirty 
six  years  ago,  at  which  time,  there  was  scarcely  a  shadow 
of  learning  in  the  Middle  States ;  and  he  generously  in- 
structed all  that  came  to  him  without  fee  or  reward,  account- 
ing himself  amply  paid  by  the  propagation  of  that  spirit  of 
incjuir)',   that   thirst  for  learning,   and  those  generous  and 


THE  NEW  LONDON  SCHOOL.        95 

public-spirited  attempts  to  found   and   establish  colleges  in 
the  states,  which  we  now  sec. 

"  Animated  by  a  laudable  spirit,  and  a  generous  concern 
for  the  public  good,  some  gentlemen  in  this  city  erected  an 
academy  here  about  thirty  years  ago,  and  invited  him  to 
take  the  instruction  and  oversight  of  it.  They  pursued  tlie 
same  benevolent  design  until  a  college  was  afterwards  added, 
in  which  he  was  constituted  vice-provost,  and  professor  of 
moral  philosophy.  In  this  laborious  employment  he  has 
ever  since  acquitted  himself  with  distinguished  honour, 
fidelity  and  success,  to  the  extensive  dissemination  of  that 
public  spirit  which  was  so  early  raised,  and  so  successfully 
cultivated,  by  this  faithful  and  industrious  servant  of  the 
public.  And  to  the  spreading  influence  of  those  numerous 
gentlemen  who  have  received  the  first  rudiments  of  their 
education  from  him,  we  cannot  but  attribute,  in  a  great 
measure,  those  pleasing  prospects  wliich  we  now  entertain, 
of  seeing  the  sacred  lamp  of  science  burning  with  a  brighter 
flame,  and  scattering  its  invigorating  rays  over  the  unex- 
plored deserts  of  this  extensive  continent,  until  the  whole 
world  be  involved  in  the  united  blaze  of  knowledge,  liberty 
and  religion.  In  short,  he  was  '  a  burning  and  a  shining 
light,'  and  one  of  the  brightest  luminaries  that  ever  shone 
on  this  western  world. 

"  He  is  now  discharged  from  the  labours  of  mortality,  and 
is  gone,  we  trust,  to  receive  the  approbation  of  that  com- 
passionate Redeemer  whom  he  so  faithfully  served.  For  he 
often  expressed  his  hopes  in  the  mercy  of  God  unto  eternal 
life,  and  told  me  but  a  few  days  ago,  '  that  he  had  no  doubt  but 
that,  according  to  the  tenor  of  the  gospel  covenant,  he  would 
obtain  the  pardon  of  his  sins  through  the  great  Redeemer  of 
mankind,  and  enjoy  an  eternity  of  rest  and  gh)ry  in  the 
presence  of  God.'  It  was  this  comfortable  prospect  that 
animated  him  to  uncommon  fidelity  and  industry  in  all  the 
duties  of  life,  and  enabled  him  to  bear  the  lingering  dissolu- 
tion of  his  body  with  patience  and  resignation,  until  he  fell 
asleep  in  Jesus. 

''  Let  us,  then,  who  survive  our  friends,  endeavour  to  be 
followers  of  them  who  by  faith  and  patience  have  inherited 
the  promises.  Let  the  solemnities  of  this  mournful  day,  iu 
which  an  afflicted  family,  the  college  in  this  city,   the   con- 


96  THELOG     COLLEGE. 

gregation  in  which  he  so  long  laboured  in  word  and  in  doc- 
trine, the  church  of  Christ,  and  the  community  at  large,  have 
felt  a  painful  wound,  teach  us  to  live  the  life  of  the  righteous, 
that  we  may  also  have  hopes  of  the  divine  approbation  at 
our  death.  Let  those  virtues  and  graces,  which  shone  with 
a  distinguished  lustre  in  the  private  life  and  the  public  con- 
duct of  our  departed  friend  engage  us  all  who  have  in  one  way 
or  other  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  his  pious  and  useful  labours, 
to  remember  him  who  has  spoken  to  us  the  word  of  God, 
and  considering  the  issue  of  his  conversation,  imitate  his 
faith.  That  gracious  God  who  has  told  us  that  the  righteous 
shall  be  had  in  everlasting  remembrance,  expects  that  they 
should  concur  in  accomplishing  that  comfortable  promise, 
and  not  counteract  it  by  burying  their  eminent  virtues  in  an 
ungrateful  oblivion.  Let  us  so  remember  them  as  that  we 
may  feel  their  constraining  efiicacy  to  excite  in  us  a  laudable 
emulation. 

"  And  now,  my  friends,  let  me  close  the  present  address 
with  a  word  to  you  who  have  long  enjoyed  his  ministerial 
labours.  You  are  now  deprived  of  an  opportunity  of  hear- 
ing the  word  of  God  from  his  mouth ;  of  listening  to  his 
warm  and  pathetic  entreaties  to  be  reconciled  to  God  through 
a  Redeemer ;  of  joining  with  him  in  ardent  supplications  to 
the  throne  of  grace ;  and  of  receiving  any  further  instruc- 
tions from  his  labours  among  you.  We  cannot  but  trust, 
that  some  of  you  will  have  reason  to  bless  God  eternally, 
that  he  has,  in  his  wise  providence,  placed  you  under  his 
ministry,  while  our  solicitude  for  your  salvation  makes  us 
fear  that  others  of  you  may  yet  remain  barren  and  unfruit- 
ful under  all  the  cultivation  of  divine  grace  by  the  hand  of 
this  faithful  watchman  in  Israel.  You  are,  therefore,  this 
day  addressed  by  this  mournful  dispensation  of  divine  pro- 
vidence, and  called  to  make  a  solemn  pause,  and  to  consider 
what  improvement  you  have  made  of  his  labours ;  to  re- 
collect the  compassionate  warnings  he  has  given  you  of  your 
danger,  the  warm  expostulations  he  has  made  with  you,  and 
the  strong  cries  he  has  often  raised  to  the  God  of  mercy 
for  your  salvation.  And,  if  you  have  any  grateful  remem- 
brance of  his  pious  and  useful  labours,  let  me  exhort  and 
entreat  you  to  discover  it  by  a  constant  and  careful  attend- 
ance upon  the  means  of  grace  with  which  you  arc  yet  fa- 


THE  NEW  LONDON  SCHOOL.        97 

voured.  These  are  appointed  to  bring  you  to  God  and  to 
glory,  to  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  and  all  the 
first  born  sons  of  glory  above.  It  is  not  long  before  you 
shall  be  deprived  of  all  these  golden  opportunities  to  secure 
your  eternal  salvation;  and  let  this  awakening  consideration 
excite  us  to  speak,  and  you  to  hear  the  word  of  God,  that 
our  mutual  account  at  the  bar  of  our  Judge  may  be  joyful." 

9 


CHAPTER  IX. 


MEMOIR   OF   THE   REV.    JOHN   TENNENT. 


Birth — Religious  Exercises  and  Conversion — Entrance  into  the  ministry- 
Settlement  at  Freehold,  Monmouth  County — Great  Success — Early 
Death. 

Although  Jolin  Tennent  was  younger  than  his 
brother  William,  being  the  third  son  of  the  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Tennent,  Sen.,  yet,  on  several  accounts,  it  seems 
expedient  to  place  the  short  memoir  of  him  before  that 
of  his  elder  brother.  It  would  seem  from  all  that  we 
can  learn  respecting  these  men,  that  John  was  licensed 
to  preach  the  gospel  before  William.  This  was  pro- 
bably owing  to  the  fact  that  William  Tennent,  jr. 
suflfered  much  loss  of  time  by  severe  sickness,  as  will 
hereafter  appear.  Or,  it  may  have  been  the  case,  that 
William  was  engaged  longer  than  his  brother  in  assist- 
ing his  father  in  teaching  in  the  Log  College.  But 
whatever  may  have  been  the  case,  it  is  certain  that  the 
Rev.  John  Tennent  was  settled  in  the  ministry  some 
years  before  his  brother ;  and  that  the  Rev.  AVilliam 
Tennent  was  not  settled  as  a  pastor,  until  after  the 
death  of  his  brother  John,  when  he  became  his  succes- 
sor in  the  church  at  Freehold,  as  will  appear  when  we 
give  a  memoir  of  him ;  and  it  is  principally  on  this 
account  that  we  place  John  foremost. 

The  third  son  of  the  Rev.  William  Tennent,  sen., 
was  born  in  the  county  of  Armagh,  in  Ireland,  in  the 
year  1707,  Nov.  12,  and  was  therefore  only  nine  years 
of  age,  Avhen  his  father  came  to  America.  The  whole 
of  his  education  he  obtained  under  the  paternal  roof, 
(98) 


THE    REV.     JOHN    TENNENT.  99 

and  in  the  Log  College  which  his  father  had  founded 
at  Neshaminy. 

Of  his  conversion  to  God  we  have  an  interesting 
narrative  from  the  pen  of  his  brother,  Gilbert,  written 
after  his  death,  and  prefixed  to  some  of  his  sermons, 
which  were  published  in  a  pamphlet  after  his  decease, 
from  which  the  following  is  an  extract : 

"  His  conviction  of  his  sin,  danger,  and  misery,  was  the 
most  violent  in  degree  of  any  I  ever  saw.  For  several 
days  and  nights  together  he  was  made  to  cry  out  in  the 
most  dolorous  and  aifecting  manner,  almost  evei'y  moment. 
The  words  which  he  used  in  his  soul-agony  were  these  :  '  0 
my  bloody,  lost  soul !  What  shall  I  do  ?  Have  mercy  on 
me,  0  God,  for  Christ's  sake.'  Sometimes  he  was  brought 
to  the  very  brink  of  despair,  and  would  conclude,  surely 
God  would  never  have  mercy  on  such  a  great  sinner  as  he 
was.  And  yet  his  life  was  unstained  with  those  scandalous 
extravagances  by  which  too  many  in  their  youth  are 
ensnared.  His  natural  predominant  sin  was  rash  anger ; 
and  the  worst  I  ever  knew  him  guilty  of  was  some  indecent 
haste  in  this  way,  on  account  of  which  he  was  afterwards 
exceedingly  humbled,  and  against  which  he  became  very 
watchful.  His  passionateness  cost  him  many  a  deep  sob, 
hea^7^  groan,  and  salt  tear.  After  it  pleased  God  to  confer 
his  grace  upon  him,  he  was  remarkably  altered  in  this  par- 
ticular, and  gained  in  a  great  measure  an  ascendency  over 
bis  besetting  sin.  Whilst  under  conviction  his  distress  was 
such  as  to  induce  him  to  make  an  open  confession  of  his 
sins  to  almost  all  that  came  near  him,  and  also  to  beg  their 
prayers  in  his  behalf  at  a  throne  of  grace.  And  this  he 
did  in  the  most  earnest  and  beseeching  manner.  His 
dolorous  groans  and  vehement  importunity  were  such  as 
greatly  to  aifect  even  strangers  who  came  to  see  him.  And 
he  earnestly  and  frequently  begged  of  God  that  he  would 
humble  him  to  the  dust,  and  beneath  the  dust. 

"  One  morning,  about  break  of  day,  after  great  wrestling 
through  the  night  and  day  preceding,  he  took  occasion  to 
speak  as  surprisingly  as  ever  I  heard  any  mortal  about  the 
morning  star,  longing  and  praying  that  the  blessed  Jesus, 
the  true,  the  bright,  the  beautiful  Morning  Star,  who  brought 
the  light  and  day  into  a  dark  world,  would  appear  in  mercy 


100  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

to  his  poor  soul;  and  then,  at  the  rising  of  the  sun,  he 
entreated  that  the  Sun  of  righteousness  might  shine  upon 
his  disconsohxte,  dejected,  wretched  soul,  with  beams  ot 
mercy  and  salvation.  His  heart  appeared  to  be  sick,  sore- 
sick,  with  panting  after  Chi-ist,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  burst 
in  pieces.  I  have  through  the  riches  of  free  gi-ace  been 
favoured  with  the  sight  of  many  a  convinced  sinner,  but 
never  did  I  behold  any  other  in  such  a  rack  of  acute  and 
continued  anguish,  under  the  dismal  apprehensions  of 
impending  ruin  and  endless  misery  from  the  vengeance  of 
a  just  and  holy  Grod. 

"  Perceiving  such  evident  signs  of  deep  conviction,  humilia- 
tion, and  earnest  desire,  I  offered  to  him  for  his  comfort  all 
the  most  encouraging  invitations  and  promises  adapted  to 
his  case  ;  and  sometimes  endeavoured  to  persuade  him  that 
he  had  an  interest  in  these  promises,  since  God  had  wrought 
in  him  those  conditions  on  which  the  blessings  were  sus- 
pended. But  although  this  would  sometimes  yield  him  a 
temporary  relief,  yet  in  a  little  while  he  would  break  forth 
again  with  the  most  doleful  lamentations,  complaining  that 
no  promise  in  the  book  of  God  belonged  to  him,  and  deny- 
ing that  any  of  those  conditions  to  which  the  promises  were 
made  had  been  wrought  in  him.  The  truth  is,  his  wound 
was  so  deep  that  none  but  God's  arm  could  heal  it.  But  it 
pleased  God,  after  an  agony  almost  uninterrupted  for  four 
days  and  four  nights,  during  which  he  cried  out  incessantly 
as  described  above,  that  he  would  make  his  consolations  as 
eminent  and  conspicuous  as  his  convictions  had  been  sevei'e. 
It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  for  some  time  before  it  pleased 
the  Almighty  to  shed  abroad  the  beams  of  his  love  and 
mercy  on  his  soul,  he  was  much  exercised  with  sorrowful 
and  piercing  reflections  on  account  of  his  hypocrisy.  He 
judged  himself  to  be  a  pharisee  and  a  hypocrite,  for  crying 
out  as  he  had  done ;  and  yet  the  sharpness  of  his  inward 
pain  was  such,  that  he  could  not  prevent  it,  thei'efore  he 
would  have  all  people  out  of  the  room,  that  he  might  pray 
and  mourn  alone. 

"  One  morning  when  I  went  to  see  him,  I  perceived  a 
great  alteration  in  his  countenance;  for  he,  who  an  hour 
before  had  looked  like  a  condemned  man  going  to  be  put  to 
some  cruel  death,  now  appeared  with  a  cheerful,  gladsome 
countenance,  and  spoke  to  me  in  these  words :   '  0  brother, 


THE    REV.     JOHN    TENNENT.  101 

the  Lord  Jesus  has  come  in  mercy  to  my  soul.  I  was  beg- 
ging for  a  crumb  of  mercy  with  the  dogs,  and  Christ  has 
told  me  that  he  will  give  me  a  crumb.'  Then  he  desired 
me  to  thank  God  in  prayer,  which  I  did  more  than  once. 
He  also  requested  me  to  praise  God  by  singing  part  of  a 
psalm,  which  1  complied  with,  and  sang  the  34th.  It  was, 
indeed,  surprising  to  hear  this  person  singing  the  praises  of 
God  with  more  clearness,  energy,  and  joy,  than  any  of  the 
spectators  who  had  crowded  in  on  this  extraordinary  and 
solemn  occasion.  And  that,  especially,  when  it  is  considered 
that  now  it  was  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  whereas  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  same  morning  he  was  speechless  for  some 
minutes,  and  thought  by  all  present  to  be  expiring  in  death. 
The  consolations  of  God  had  such  an  influence  upon  him, 
that  about  an  hour  or  two  afterwards  he  walked  about 
thirty  rods  to  see  his  brother  William,  who  was  then  ex- 
tremely sick,  nigh  unto  death,  and  thought  by  most  to  be 
past  all  human  hope  of  recovery.  He  said  he  must  see  his 
brother,  to  tell  him  what  God  had  done  for  his  soul,  that  he 
might  praise  God  on  his  account  before  he  died.  And  when 
he  entered  the  room  where  his  brother  was  lying,  his  joy 
appeared  to  overflow,  and  he  addressed  him  in  the  following 
words  :  '  0  brother,  the  Lord  has  looked  with  pity  on  my 
soul.  Let  the  heavens,  earth,  and  sea,  and  all  that  in  them 
is,  praise  God !'  But  being  exposed  too  soon  to  the  cool 
air,  he  fell  into  a  fever,  and  then  called  in  question  that 
eminent  discovery  of  God's  love  which  he  had  experienced. 
But  it  was  not  long  before  he  was  again  comforted ;  and 
from  this  time  a  great  change  in  his  conversation  was  mani- 
fest. And  while  he  experienced  many  seasons  of  the  sealing 
of  God's  covenant  love,  yet  in  the  intervals  he  was  often 
dejected,  and  distressed  with  doubts  and  fears  respecting 
his  own  state. 

*'  He  gave  the  best  evidence  of  a  change  of  heart  in  the 
conscientious  and  diligent  performance  of  all  Christian 
duties,  even  of  those  most  opposite  to  our  corrupt  nature, 
such  as  secret  prayer  and  fasting.  He  was  a  tender-hearted, 
courteous  relative,  and  of  a  very  sympathetic  spirit.  His 
respectful  and  aflFectionate  treatment  of  his  reverend  and 
aged  father,  and  his  kind  mother,  merits  an  honourable  men- 
tion. His  great  soul  disdained  any  thing  that  was  mean, 
and  inclined  him  to  the  most  noble  and  generous  actions 
that  were  within  his  power. 
9* 


102  THE    LOG     COLLEGE. 

"  He  was  endowed  by  his  Creator  with  a  natural  quick- 
ness of  apprehension,  copiousness  of  fancy,  and  fluency  of 
expression,  which  served  to  qualify  him  eminently  for  the 
oifice  of  a  preacher.  He  had  made  no  contemptible  progress 
in  the  learned  languages,  and  also  in  philosophical  and  theo- 
logical studies  ;  but  he  particularly  excelled  in  the  polemical 
and  casuistical  branches  of  divinity.  He  was  well  known  to 
be  an  expert  disputant  and  casuist ;  but  that  which  crowned 
his  other  attainments,  and  made  them  trppear  with  beauty 
and  lustre,  was  his  unfeigned  and  eminent  piety. 

'■'■  His  attainments  in  the  Christian  gi-aces  were  eminently 
conspicuous  in  the  following  particulars.  First,  his  humility. 
He  was  wont  to  speak  of  himself  in  the  most  abasing  terms, 
saying  that  he  thought  himself  one  of  the  worst  creatures 
the  creation  bore;  and  on  his  dying  bed  he  desired  his 
relations  to  forbear  any  funeral  encomiums  upon  him  when 
he  was  gone,  for  he  declared  with  vehemence  that  he  was 
not  worthy  of  them.  When  admitted  to  preach,  he  would 
often,  in  his  private  studies,  take  the  Bible  in  his  hand, 
and  would  walk  l^p  and  down  the  room  weeping  and 
mourning,  that  although  there  was  a  treasury  of  precious 
truth  contained  in  that  blessed  book,  he  understood  so  little 
of  them.  A  sense  of  the  greatness  of  the  ministerial  work, 
and  of  his  ignorance  and  unfitness  for  it,  was  often  a  very 
oppressive  burden  to  him.  It  was  a  striking  evidence  of  the 
low  opinion  which  he  entertained  of  himself,  that  he  never 
could  be  persuaded  that  a  holy  God  would  bless  the  labours 
of  a  person  every  way  so  mean  and  so  unworthy  as  he  felt 
himself  to  be.  And  when  informed  that  certain  persons  had 
been  convinced  under  his  ministry,  he  could  not  for  some 
time  believe  that  the  work  was  genuine,  imtil  further  con- 
viction was  afibrded  by  bright  and  incontestable  evidences. 

*'  His  love  to  Christ  was  manifest  to  all  who  had  the  op- 
portunity of  hearing  his  earnest  and  imjiortunate  prayers. 
Indeed,  Christ  and  he  crucified  was  the  end  at  which  he 
aimed,  the  sacred  centre  in  which  all  the  lines  of  his  life 
terminated.  Christ  was  the  object  of  his  supreme  love  and 
highest  admiration. 

'■'■  He  possessed  also  a  flaming  zeal  for  the  establishment 
and  promotion  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom.  It  was  his  oft- 
repeated  petition  that  God  would  make  him  serviceable  to 
his  church,  and  that  he  would  not  suflfer  him  to  live  merely 


THE    REV.    JOHN    TENNENT.  103 

to  devour  the  alms  of  the  church,  but  that  he  would  rather 
remove  him  to  himself,  before  he  became  useless." 

When  Mr.  John  Tennent  had  finished  his  preparatory 
studies  in  the  Log  College,  he  presented  himself  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Philadelphia;  and  after  passing  with 
credit  the  usual  trials  he  was  licensed  to  preach  the 
gospel. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Tennent's  licensure  he  visited  the 
congregation  of  Freehold,  in  the  county  of  Monmouth, 
New  Jersey,  which  w^as  now  Avithout  a  pastor.  This 
congregation  owed  its  origin  to  some  Scotch  people 
who  Avere  cast  on  the  Jersey  shore  ;  the  vessel  Cale- 
donia, in  which  they  sailed,  having  been  stranded  on 
our  coast.  These  people,  being  thus  by  the  providence 
of  God  cast  upon  this  land,  determined  to  take  up 
their  abode  in  the  country,  near  to  the  place  where 
they  reached  the  shore  ;  and  being  Presbyterians,  they 
were  not  content  to  live  without  the  ordinances  of 
public  worship,  according  to  the  creed  and  usages  of 
the  church  of  Scotland.  They  accordingly  set  about 
building  a  house  of  worship,  which  was  situated  a 
few  miles  east  of  the  present  church  of  Freehold, 
where  the  remains  of  the  old  building  and  a  grave- 
yard are  yet  to  be  seen.  Mr.  Boyd,  the  first  licentiate 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  w^as  their  first 
minister,  but  died  within  less  than  two  years.  For 
some  time  afterwards  this  congregation  was  supplied 
by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Morgan,  but  he  having  left  them 
early  in  the  year  1730,  they  invited  young  Mr.  Ten- 
nent to  preach  to  them  as  a  candidate.  Being  a 
young  man  of  uncommon  modesty  and  humility,  he 
was  very  reluctant  to  go,  and  even  after  he  had  con- 
sented to  visit  them,  as  his  brother  William,  in  his 
letter  to  Mr.  Prince,  of  Boston,  informs  us,  he  regret- 
ted the  engagement  very  much,  for  it  seemed  to  him 
that  they  were  a  people  whom  God  had  given  up  for 
the  abuse  of  the  gospel.  But  though  he  went  under 
this  cloud  of  discouragement,  his  first  labours  among 


104  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

this  people  were  remarkably  blessed.  On  his  first 
visit  he  preached  four  or  five  Sabbaths,  and  found 
among  the  people  a  serious  disposition  to  attend  to 
the  concerns  of  their  souls,  and  to  search  the  Scrip- 
tures to  see  whether  the  things  which  they  heard 
from  the  pulpit  were  so.  And  he  was  assisted  to 
preach  with  so  much  freedom,  that  he  told  his  brother 
William  that  he  was  fully  persuaded  that  Christ  Jesus 
had  a  large  harvest  to  bring  home  there  ;  and  though 
they  were  a  poor  broken  people,  yet  if  they  called 
him  he  would  go  to  them,  though  he  should  be  under 
the  necessity  of  begging  his  bread.  On  the  15th  of 
April,  1730,  they  assembled,  and  gave  him  an  unani- 
mous call,  which  he  accepted,  and  was  ordained 
November  19th  of  the  same  year. 

"  His  labours  in  this  congregation,"  according  to  his 
brother  Gilbert,  "were  attended  with  three  notable  qualities 
— prudence,  diligence,  and  success."  Though  the  time  was 
short  which  he  was  permitted  to  remain  among  them,  yet 
his  labours  were  abundant.  His  race  was  swift  and  vehe- 
ment ;  and  his  heart  was  so  fixed  on  the  work  of  God,  that 
he  could  not  be  persuaded  to  desist  from  his  public  labours, 
even  when  his  body  was  emaciated  and  debilitated  by  a  con- 
sumptive disease,  and  when,  in  the  judgment  of  physicians, 
it  was  prejudicial  to  his  broken  constitution. 

"  In  his  public  discourses,  not  to  mention  the  justness  of 
his  method,  the  beauty  of  his  style,  and  the  fluency  of  his 
expression,  by  which  he  chained  his  not  unwilling  hearers 
to  his  hps,  he  was  very  awakening  and  terrible  to  unbelievers, 
in  denouncing  and  describing  with  the  most  vehement  pathos 
and  awful  solemnity  the  terrors  of  an  offended  Deity,  the 
threats  of  a  broken  law,  and  the  miseries  of  a  sinful  state. 
And  this  subject  he  insisted  much  upon,  because  he,  witii 
many  others,  found  it  the  most  effectual  and  successful  means 
to  alarm  secure  sinners.  He  used  a  close,  distinguishing, 
and  detecting  method,  in  the  application  of  his  sermons; 
which,  with  his  pungent  mode  of  expression,  was  very  pierc- 
ing and  solemn.  But,  as  Dr.  Watts  observes  of  Mr.  Gouge, 
he  knew  the  pity  of  Immanuel's  heart,  as  well  as  the  terrors 
of  Jehovah's  hand.     He  was  as  tender  and  compassionate  in 


THE   REV,   JOHN  TENNENT.  105 

Lis  atlJresscs  to  gracious  souls  as  faithful  to  brandish  and 
apply  the  law's  lancet  to  the  secure :  and  he  was  as  willing 
to  do  the  one  as  the  other.  But,  indeed,  he  was  very  cau- 
tious of  misapplying  the  different  portions  of  the  word  to  his 
hearers ;  or  of  setting  before  them  only  a  common  mess,  and 
leaving  it  to  them  to  divide  among  themselves,  as  their  fancy 
and  humour  directed  them ;  for  he  well  knew  that  was  the 
bane  of  preaching. 

"  Once  more  ,  he  was  a  successful  preacher.  When  he 
was  under  trials  for  the  ministry,  he  was  much  exercised 
with  doubts,  difficulties,  and  distresses  about  his  call  to  this 
great  and  awful  trust ;  but  it  pleased  God  to  dissipate  these 
clouds,  and  to  afford  to  his  perplexed  and  anxious  mind 
abundant  satisfaction  respecting  this  matter,  by  the  numer- 
ous seals  which  crowned  his  public  labours  ;  for  as  the  famous 
Rutherford  says,  '  it  is  not  probable  that  God  would  seal  a 
blank.'  It  may  be  truly  said  of- him,  that  he  gained  more 
poor  sinners  to  Christ,  in  that  little  compass  of  time  which 
he  had  to  improve  in  the  ministerial  work,  which  was  about 
three  and  a  half  years,  than  many  in  the  space  of  twenty, 
thirty,  forty,  or  fifty  years.  Many  souls  have  and  will  have 
reason,  through  eternity,  to  bless  God  that  ever  they  saw 
him.  But  though  he  was  thus  honoured  with  smiles  of 
heaven  upon  his  labours ;  and  though  favoured  with  the  kind 
regards  of  a  loving  and  generous  people,  who  had  it  been 
possible  would  have  plucked  out  their  own  eyes  and  have 
given  them  to  him ;  so  that  no  minister  before  was  ever  the 
object  of  a  more  respectful  regard  and  sympathy ;  yet  was 
he  far  from  being  exalted  in  his  own  mind,  but  through 
grace  retained  a  just,  grateful,  and  humble  sense  of  God's 
distinguishing  goodness,  and  his  own  unworthiness. 

"  As  he  drew  near  to  his  end,  his  love  for  his  people  and 
concern  for  their  welfare  increased.  He  would  often  express 
himself  to  one  of  his  brothers  in  such  language  as  the  fol- 
lowing, '  I  am  grieved  for  my  people,  for  I  fear  they  will  be 
left  to  wander  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd ;  or  get  one  that 
will  pull  down  what  I  have  poorly  endeavoured  to  build  up.' 
His  brother,  who  watched  with  him  in  his  sickness,  has  fre- 
quently overheard  him  in  the  deep  silence  of  the  night, 
wrestling  with  God  by  prayer,  sobs  and  tears,  for  his  people. 
Yea,  when  so  reduced  by  consumption  that  he  could  scarce 
walk  alone,  he  bore  the  pains  of  this  lingering  disease  with 


lOG  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

unbroken  patience,  and  silent  submission  to  his  Father's 
pleasure,  until  it  pleased  Grod  to  open  a  door  of  escape  to 
his  captive  soul,  through  the  ruins  of  his  decayed  frame. 

"  Uu  Saturday  evening — the  last  evening  of  his  life — he 
was  seized  with  a  violent  pang  of  death  which  was  thought 
by  his  attendants  to  be  his  last ;  from  which  unexpectedly 
recovering,  and  observing  a  confusion  among  them,  he  ad- 
dressed one,  whom  he  saw  uncommonly  affected,  with  a 
cheerful  countenance,  in  the  following  words,  '  I  would  not 
have  you  think  the  worse  of  the  ways  of  holiness,  be- 
cause you  see  me  in  such  agonies  of  distress,  for  I  know 
there  is  a  crown  of  glory  in  heaven  for  me,  which  I 
shall  shortly  wear.'  Afterwards,  in  the  night,  he  often 
prayed,  '  Come  Lord  Jesus  !  0  Jesus,  why  dost  thou  lin- 
ger ?'  Some  time  before  day,  he  repeated  with  humble  con- 
fidence the  last  words  of  David,  '  Although  my  house  be 
not  so  with  God,  yet  hath  he  made  with  me  an  everlasting 
covenant,  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure ;  for  this  is  all  my 
salvation  and  all  my  desire.' — 2  Sam.  xxiii.  5. 

''About  the  break  of  day,  he  called  his  brother  William 
to  prayer,  and  earnestly  desired  him  to  implore  Heaven  for 
his  speedy  removal,  for,  he  said,  he  longed  to  be  gone. 
About  eight  or  nine  o'clock  of  the  next  day,  which  was  the 
Sabbath,  his  desire  was  granted ;  when  it  pleased  his 
Master  to  translate  him  to  that  great  assembly  of  the  just, 
'  the  church  of  the  firstborn,'  there  to  celebrate  an  eternal 
Sabbath,  in  praises  and  songs  of  triumph. 

''  A  few  minutes  before  he  expired,  holding  his  brother 
William  by  the  hand,  he  broke  out  into  the  following 
rapturous  expressions ;  '  Farewell,  my  brethren,  farewell 
father  and  mother ;  farewell  world,  with  all  thy  vain 
delights.  Welcome,  God  and  Father  —  welcome,  sweet 
Lord  Jesus  !  Welcome  death — welcome  eternity.  Amen  !' 
Then  with  a  low  voice,  he  said,  '  Lord  Jesus,  come  Lord 
Jesus  !'  And  so  he  fell  asleep  in  Christ,  and  obtained  an 
abundant  entrance  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  his  God 
and  Saviour." 

He  was  buried  in  the  grave-yard  near  to  the  church, 
where  he  preached,  and  where  his  tombstone  may  yet  be 
seen.  The  Rev.  Jonathan  Dickinson,  of  Elizabethtown, 
composed  for  his  tomb-stone,  the  following  epitaph : 


THE    REV.    JOHN    TENNENT.  lOT 

"Who  quick  grew  old  in  learning,  virtue,  grace, 
Quick  finifihed,  well-yielded  to  death';!  embrace : 
Whoso  mouldered  dust,  this  cabinet  contains. 
Whose  soul  triumphant,  with  bright  seraphs  reigns  ; 
Waiting  the  time  'till  heaven's  bright  concave  flame, 
And  the  last  trump  repairs  his  ruined  frame." 

Much  praise  cannot  be  awarded  to  the  poetry  of  the 
foregoing  epitaph,  but  it  serves  to  show  in  what 
estimation  Mr.  Tennent  was  held,  by  one  of  the  most 
eminent  theologians  of  his  day. 

His  death  occurred  on  the  23rd  day  of  April,  1732, 
in  the  twenty-fifth  year  of  his  age. 

Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent,  with  the  memoir  of  his  brother 
John,  published  also  one  of  his  sermons.  The  subject 
is  "Regeneration;"  and  is  treated  in  a  clear  dis- 
criminating manner. 

As  far  as  can  be  judged  from  the  accounts  Avhich 
have  come  down  to  us,  respecting  this  young  pastor, 
and  from  the  aforesaid  discourse,  there  is  reason  to 
conclude,  that  both  in  piety  and  talents,  he  was  not 
inferior  to  any  one  of  his  brothers ;  and  that  if  he  had 
lived  to  the  usual  period  of  human  life,  he  would  have 
been  "a  burning  and  a  shining  light"  in  the  church. 

The  people  of  his  charge  were  greatly  attached  to 
him,  and  exceedingly  lamented  his  death.  There  is 
still  extant,  the  fragment  of  an  old  manuscript  book, 
kept  by  the  session  of  his  church,  in  which  is  contained 
the  following  entry : 

"  A  mournful  providence  and  cause  of  great  huniiliatiou 
to  this  poor  congregation,  to  be  bereaved  in  the  liower  of 
youth,  of  the  most  laborious,  successful,  well-quulitied,  and 
pious  pastor  this  age  afforded ;  though  but  a  youth  of 
twenty-four  years  five  months  and  eleven  days." 

In  this  record  he  is  called,  "  the  reverend  and  dear 
Mr.  John  Tennent."* 

*  See  Appendix,  No.  II. 


108  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

It  may  be  gratifying  to  some  to  know  the  names  of 
some  of  the  principal  families  which  constituted  the 
congregation  of  Freehold,  which  have  been  taken  from 
the  record  before  mentioned.  Among  them  we  find 
Ker,  Craig,  Forman,  Anderson,  Newall,  Gordon,  Lloyd, 
Crawford,  Henderson,  Robinson,  Rhea,  Watson,  Wilson, 
Campbell,  Covenhoven,  Little,  Cumming,  English,  &c. 


CHAPTER     X. 


MEMOIR   OF   THE    REV.  WM.  TENNENT,  JR. 


Preliminary  Remarks — Mr.  Tennent's  birth  and  education — Sickness,  ap- 
parent death,  and  recoverj' — State  of  his  mind  during  his  trance — Set- 
tlement and  ordination  as  successor  to  his  brother  at  Freehold — Mar- 
riage— Character  as  a  pastor  and  success  in  the  ministry — Trial  for 
Perjury — Extraordinary  means  of  deliverance — The  close  of  life. 

The  following  memoir  of  the  Rev.  William  Tennent, 
jr.,  was  originally  published  in  "  The  Assembly's  Mis- 
sionary Magazine,"  in  the  year  1806  ;  and  although  it 
was  not  accompanied  Avith  the  author's  name,  it  was 
well  understood  to  be  from  the  pen  of  the  Hon.  Elias 
Boudinot,  LL.  D,,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  all  the 
members  of  this  remarkable  family.  But  although  Dr. 
Boudinot  prepared  this  memoir  for  the  press,  the  greater 
part  of  the  narrative  was  written,  at  his  request,  by  the 
late  Dr.  Henderson,  of  Freehold,  one  of  the  elders  of 
the  Freehold  church,  and  a  man  distinguished  for  his 
piety,  integrity,  veracity,  and  patriotism.  This  origi- 
nal manuscript  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Histori- 
cal Society  of  New  Jersey.  From  it  we  learn  that  the 
history  of  Mr.  Tennent's  trial,  which  occurred  soon 
after  his  settlement  in  the  ministry,  and  when  Dr. 
Henderson  was  too  young  to  be  a  competent  witness, 
was  received  from  his  father,  who  was  then  an  elder  in 
the  church  of  Freehold,  of  which  Mr.  William  Tennent 
was  the  pastor.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  au- 
thenticity of  the  facts  here  stated,  however  they  may 
be  accounted  for.  The  writer  has  heard  the  same  facts 
from  elderly  persons  who  never  had  seen  this  published 
account ;  and  they  were  so  public,  that  thev  were  gene- 
10  '   (109) 


110  THE     LOG    COLLEGE. 

rally  known,  not  only  to  the  people  of  this  part  of  the 
country,  but  they  were  currently  reported  and  fully 
believed  in  other  states.  The  writer  has  heard  them 
familiarly  talked  of  in  Virginia,  from  his  childhood. 
It  is  a  matter  of  some  regret  that  the  record  of  this 
trial  cannot  be  found,  yet  papers  have  been  discovered 
among  the  archives  of  the  state,  in  which  reference  is 
made  to  this  transaction.  The  following  is  the  narra- 
tive : — 

"  Among  the  duties  which  every  generation  owes  to  those 
who  are  to  succeed  it,  we  may  reckon  the  careful  delinea- 
tion of  the  characters  of  those  whose  example  deserves  and 
may  invite  imitation.  Example  speaks  louder  than  precept, 
and  living  practical  religion  has  a  much  greater  effect  on 
mankind  than  argument  or  eloquence.  Hence,  the  lives  of 
pious  men  become  the  most  important  sources  of  instruction 
and  warning  to  posterity;  while  their  exemplary  conduct 
affords  the  best  commentary  on  the  religion  they  professed. 
But  when  such  men  have  been  remarkably  favoured  of  Grod 
with  unusual  degrees  of  light  and  knowledge,  and  have  been 
honoured  by  the  special  and  extraordinary  influences  of  his 
Holy  Spirit,  and  by  the  most  manifest  and  wonderful  inter- 
positions of  divine  Providence  in  their  behalf,  it  becomes  a 
duty  of  more  than  common  obligation  to  hand  down  to  pos- 
terity the  principal  events  of  their  lives,  together  with  such 
useful  inferences  as  they  naturally  suggest.  A  neglect  of 
this  duty,  even  by  persons  who  may  be  conscious  of  the 
want  of  abilities  necessary  for  the  complete  biographer,  is 
greatly  culpable  ;  for,  if  the  strictest  attention  be  paid  to  the 
truth  of  the  facts  related,  and  all  exaggeration  or  partial 
representation  be  carefully  avoided,  the  want  of  other  furni- 
ture can  be  no  excuse  for  burying  in  oblivion  that  conduct, 
which,  if  known,  might  edify  and  benefit  the  world. 

"  The  writer  of  these  memoirs  has  difiiculties  of  a  peculiar 
kind  to  encounter,  in  attempting  to  sketch  the  life  of  that 
modest,  humble,  and  worthy  man,  whose  actions,  exercises, 
and  sentiments  he  wishes  to  record.  Worldly  men,  who  are 
emulous  to  transmit  their  names  to  following  ages,  take  care 
to  leave  such  materials  for  the  future  historian  as  may  se- 
cure the  celebrity  which  they  seek.  But  the  humble  fol- 
lower of  the  meek  aud  lowly  Jesus,  whose  sole  aim  is  the 


THE    REV.    W  AI  .    T  E  N  N  E  N  T ,    JR.  Ill 

glory  of  Orod  iu  the  welfare  of  iuiuiortal  souls,  goes  on  from 
day  to  day  as  seeing  Him  who  is  invisible,  careful  to  ap- 
prove himself  only  to  the  Searcher  of  hearts,  regardless  of 
worldly  fame  or  distinction,  and  leaving  it  to  his  heavenly 
Father  to  rcwai'd  him  openly  in  the  day  of  final  account. 
The  writer  of  such  a  man's  life  must  principally  rely  on  a 
personal  acquaintance  with  him,  and  the  communications  of 
his  intimate  friends,  for  the  information  which  shall  be  im- 
parted to  the  public.  In  these  circumstances  it  is  peculiarly 
embarrassing,  if  some  of  the  facts  to  be  recorded  are  of  such 
a  nature  that  it  is  most  desirable  to  have  their  authenticity 
so  fully  established,  that  incredulity  shall  be  confounded, 
and  the  sneer  of  the  sceptical  and  profane  lose  its  effect. 
But  the  writer  of  the  following  narrative,  though  placed  in 
these  circumstances,  and  having  such  facts  to  detail,  has 
nevertheless  determined  to  proceed.  He  has  refreshed  and 
corrected  his  own  recollection  by  the  most  careful  inquiries 
that  he  could  possibly  make  of  others,  until  he  is  well  as- 
sured that  what  he  shall  state  is  incontestable  truth.  From 
the  very  nature  of  several  things  of  which  an  account  will 
be  given,  thej'-  do  not  indeed  admit  of  any  other  direct  tes- 
timony than  that  of  the  remarkable  man  to  whom  they 
relate.  But  if  there  ever  was  a  person  who  deserved  to  be 
believed  unreservedly  on  his  word,  it  was  he.  He  possessed 
an  integrity  of  soul,  and  a  soundness  of  judgment,  which 
did  actually  secure  him  an  unlimited  confidence  from  all 
who  knew  him.  Every  species  of  deception,  f:dsehood,  and 
exaggeration  he  abhorred  and  scorned.  He  was  an  Israelite 
indeed,  in  whom  there  was  no  guile.  With  such  materials, 
then,  as  have  been  mentioned,  and  for  a  work  of  such  char- 
acter as  has  been  hinted,  the  writer  has  undertaken  his  task. 
He  has  undertaken  what  he  would  most  gladly  have  re- 
signed to  an  abler  hand ;  but  from  which,  as  no  other  ofiered, 
he  dared  not  withhold  his  own.  He  could  wish  that  specu- 
lative and  even  unbelieving  minds  might  be  instructed  and 
convinced  by  these  memoirs.  But  his  principal  object,  and 
that  in  which  he  trusts  he  shall  not  be  entirely  disappointed, 
is  to  direct,  assist,  and  comfort  pious  souls,  groaning  under 
the  pressure  of  the  calamities  which  they  often  have  to 
endure  in  their  pilgrimage  through  the  wilderness  of  this 
world. 

'*  The  Rev.  Wm.  Tennent,  of  Freehold,  New  Jersey,  was 


112  THE    LOG     COLLEGE. 

the  second  son  of  the  Rev.  Wm.  Tennent,  sen.,  and  was 
born  ou  the  3d  day  of  June,  1705,  in  the  county  of 
Armagh,  in  Ireland,  and  was  just  turned  of  thirteen  years 
when  he  arrived  in  America.  He  applied  himself  with 
much  zeal  and  industry  to  his  studies,  and  made  great  pro- 
ficiency in  the  languages,  particularly  in  the  Latin.  Being 
early  impressed  with  a  deep  sense  of  divine  things,  he  soon 
determined  to  follow  the  example  of  his  father  and  elder 
brother,  by  devoting  himself  to  the  service  of  God  in  the 
ministry  of  the  gospel.  His  brother  Gilbert  being  called 
to  the  pastoral  charge  of  the  church  at  New  Brunswick,  in 
New  Jersey,  and  making  a  very  considerable  figure  as  a 
useful  and  popular  preacher,  William  determined  as  he  had 
completed  his  course  in  the  languages,  to  study  divinity 
under  his  brother.  Accordingly  he  left  his  father's  house 
with  his  consent,  and  by  his  advice,  and  went  to  New 
Brunswick.  At  his  departure  from  home,  which  was  con- 
sidered as  his  setting  out  in  life,  his  father  addressed  him 
with  great  afiection,  commending  him  to  the  favour  and 
protection  of  that  God,  from  whom  he  himself  had  received 
so  much  mercy,  and  who  had  directed  him  in  all  his  migra- 
tions. He  gave  him  a  small  sum  of  money,  as  the  amount 
of  all  he  could  do  for  him,  telling  him  that  if  he  behaved 
well  and  did  his  duty,  this  was  an  ample  provision  for  him ; 
and  if  he  should  act  otherwise,  and  prove  ungrateful  to  a 
kind  and  gracious  God,  it  was  too  much  and  more  than  he 
deserved.  Thus,  with  a  pittance,  and  the  blessing  of  a 
pious  and  affectionate  parent,  of  more  consequence  than 
thousands  of  pounds,  the  young  student  set  out  in  the 
world. 

"  After  a  regular  course  of  study  in  theology,  Mr.  Ten- 
nent  was  preparing  for  his  examination  by  the  Presbytery 
as  a  candidate  for  the  gospel  ministry.  His  intense  appli- 
cation affected  his  health,  and  brought  on  a  pain  in  his 
breast,  and  a  slight  hectic.  He  soon  became  emaciated, 
and  at  length  was  like  a  living  skeleton.  His  life  was  now 
threatened.  He  was  attended  by  a  physician,  a  young 
gentleman  who  was  attached  to  him  by  the  strictest  and 
warmest  friendship.  He  grew  worse  and  worse,  till  little 
hope  of  life  was  left.  In  this  situation,  his  spirits  failed 
him,  and  he  began  to  entertain  doubts  of  his  final  happiness. 
He  was  conversiui,'  one  morning  with  his  brother  in  Latin, 


THE    REV.    W  M  .    T  E  N  N  E  N  T ,    JR.  113 

on  tlie  state  of  his  soul,  wlieu  he  fainted  and  died  away. 
After  the  usual  time  he  was  laid  out  on  a  board,  according 
to  the  common  practice  of  the  country,  and  the  neighbour- 
hood were  invited  to  attend  his  funeral  on  the  next  day. 
In  the  evening,  his  physician  and  friend  returned  from  a 
ride  in  the  country,  and  was  afflicted  beyond  measure  at  the 
news  of  his  death.  He  could  not  be  persuaded  that  it  was 
certain ;  and  on  being  told  that  one  of  the  persons  who  had 
assisted  in  laying  out  the  body  thought  he  had  observed  a 
little  tremor  of  the  flesh  under  the  arm,  although  the  body 
was  cold  and  stifl",  he  endeavoured  to  ascertain  the  fact. 
He  first  put  his  own  hand  into  warm  water,  to  make  it  as 
sensible  as  possible,  and  then  felt  under  the  arm,  and  at  the 
heart,  and  affirmed  that  he  felt  an  unusual  warmth,  though 
no  one  else  could.  He  had  the  body  restored  to  a  warm 
bed,  and  insisted  that  the  people  who  had  been  invited  to 
the  funeral  should  be  requested  not  to  attend.  To  this  the 
brother  objected  as  absurd,  the  eyes  being  sunk,  the  lips 
discoloured,  and  the  whole  body  cold  and  stiff.  However, 
the  doctor  finally  prevailed,  and  all  probable  means  were 
used  to  discover  symptoms  of  returning  life.  But  the 
third  day  arrived,  and  no  hopes  were  entertained  of  success 
but  by  the  doctor,  who  never  left  him  night  nor  day.  The 
people  were  again  invited,  and  assembled  to  attend  the 
funeral.  The  doctor  still  objected,  and  at  last  confined  his 
request  for  delay  to  one  hour,  then  to  half  an  hour,  and 
finally  to  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  He  had  discovered  that  the 
tongue  was  much  swollen,  and  threatened  to  crack.  He 
was  endeavoring  to  soften  it,  by  some  emollient  ointment 
put  upon  it  with  a  feather,  when  the  brother  came  iu,  about 
the  expiration  of  the  last  period,  and  mistaking  what  the 
doctor  was  doing  for  an  attempt  to  feed  him,  manifested 
some  resentment,  and  iu  a  spirited  tone  said,  '  It  is  shame- 
ful to  be  feeding  a  lifeless  corpse;'  and  insisted  with 
earnestness,  that  the  funeral  should  immediately  proceed. 
At  this  critical  and  important  moment,  the  body  to  the  great 
alarm  and  astonishment  of  all  present  opened  its  eyes,  gave 
a  dreadful  groan  and  sunk  again  into  apparent  death.  This 
put  an  end  to  all  thoughts  of  burying  him,  and  every  effort 
was  again  employed  in  hopes  of  bringing  about  a  speedy 
resuscitation.  In  about  an  hour  the  eyes  again  opened,  a 
heavy   groan    proceeded    from    the    body,    and    again   all 

10* 


114  THE    LOU    COLLEGE. 

appearance  of  animation  vanished.  In  another  hour  life 
seemed  to  return  with  more  power,  and  a  complete  revival 
took  place  to  the  great  joy  of  the  family  and  friends, 
and  to  the  no  small  astonishment  and  conviction  of  very 
many  who  had  been  ridiculing  the  idea  of  restoring  to  life 
a  dead  body. 

"  Mr.  Tennent  continued  in  so  weak  and  low  a  state  for 
six  weeks,  that  great  doubts  were  entertained  of  his  final  re- 
covery. However,  after  that  period  he  recovered  much  faster, 
but  it  was  about  twelve  months  before  he  was  completely  re- 
stored. After  he  was  able  to  walk  the  room,  and  to  take 
notice  of  what  passed  around  him,  on  a  Sunday  afternoon, 
his  sister,  who  had  staid  from  church  to  attend  him,  was 
reading  in  the  Bible,  when  he  took  notice  of  it  and  asked 
her  what  she  had  in  her  hand.  She  answered  that  she  was 
reading  the  Bible.  He  replied,  *  What  is  the  Bible  ?  I 
know  not  what  you  mean.'  This  affected  the  sister  so  much 
that  she  burst  into  tears,  and  informed  him  that  he  was 
once  well  acquainted  with  it.  On  her  reporting  this  to  the 
brother,  when  he  returned,  Mr.  Tennent  was  found,  upon 
examination,  to  be  totally  ignorant  of  every  transaction  of 
life  previous  to  his  sickness.  He  could  not  read  a  single 
word,  neither  did  he  seem  to  have  any  idea  of  what  it  meant. 
As  soon  as  he  became  capable  of  attention,  he  was  taught 
to  read  and  write,  as  children  are  usually  taught,  and  after- 
wards began  to  learn  the  Latin  language  under  the  tuition 
of  his  brother.  One  day,  as  he  was  reciting  a  lesson  in  Cor- 
nelius Nepos,  he  suddenly  started,  clapped  his  hand  to  his 
head,  as  if  something  had  hurt  him,  and  made  a  pause.  His 
brother  asking  him  what  was  the  matter,  he  said  that  he 
felt  a  sudden  shock  in  his  head,  and  now  it  seemed  to  him 
as  if  he  had  read  that  book  before.  By  degrees  his  recol- 
lection was  restored,  and  he  could  speak  the  Latin  as  fluently 
as  before  his  sickness.  His  memory  so  completely  revived, 
that  he  gained  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  past  transactions 
of  his  life,  as  if  no  difficulty  had  previously  occurred.  This 
event,  at  the  time,  made  a  considerable  noise,  and  afforded, 
not  only  matter  of  serious  contemplation  to  the  devout  Chris- 
tian, especially  when  connected  with  what  follows  in  this 
narration,  but  furnished  a  subject  of  deep  investigation  and 
learned  inquiry  to  the  real  philosopher  and  curious  anatomist. 

''  The  writer  of  these  memoirs  was  greatly  interested  by 


THE   REV.    WM.    TEN  KENT,    JR.  115 

these  uncommon  events ;  and,  on  a  favourable  occasion,  ear- 
nestly pressed  Mr.  Tennent  for  a  minute  account  of  wliat 
his  views  and  apprehensions  were,  while  he  lay  in  this  ex- 
traordinary state  of  suspended  animation.  He  discovered 
great  reluctance  to  enter  into  any  explanation  of  his  per- 
ceptions and  feelings,  at  this  time ;  but,  being  importunately 
urged  to  do  it,  he  at  length  consented,  and  proceeded  with  a 
solemnity  not  to  be  described. 

"  '  While  I  was  conversing  with  my  brother,'  said  he,  '  on 
the  state  of  my  soul,  and  the  fears  I  had  entertained  for  my 
future  welfare,  I  found  myself,  in  an  instant,  in  another  state 
of  existence,  under  the  direction  of  a  superior  being,  who 
ordered  me  to  follow  him.  I  was  accordingly  wafted  along, 
I  know  not  how,  till  I  beheld  at  a  distance  an  ineffable  glory, 
the  impression  of  which  on  my  mind  it  is  impossible  to  com- 
municate to  mortal  man.  I  immediately  reflected  on  my 
happy  change,  and  thought, — Well,  blessed  be  God  !  I  am 
safe  at  last,  notwithstanding  all  my  fears.  I  saw  an  innu- 
merable host  of  happy  beings  surrounding  the  inexpressible 
glory,  in  acts  of  adoration  and  joyous  worship;  but  I  did 
not  see  any  bodily  shape  or  representation  in  the  glorious  ap- 
pearance. I  heard  things  unutterable.  I  heard  their  songs 
and  hallelujahs  of  thanksgiving  and  praise  with  unspeak- 
able rapture.  I  felt  joy  unutterable  and  full  of  glory.  I 
then  applied  to  my  conductor,  and  requested  leave  to  join 
the  happy  throng ;  on  which  he  tapped  me  on  the  shoulder, 
and  said,  '  You  must  return  to  the  earth.'  This  seemed 
like  a  sword  through  my  heart.  In  an  instant,  I  recollect 
to  have  seen  my  brother  standing  before  me,  disputing  with 
the  doctor.  The  three  days  during  which  I  had  appeared 
lifeless  seemed  to  me  not  more  than  ten  or  twenty  minutes. 
The  idea  of  returning  to  this  world  of  sorrow  and  trouble 
gave  me  such  a  shock,  that  I  fainted  repeatedly.'  He  added, 
*  Such  was  the  effect  on  my  mind  of  what  I  had  seen  and 
heard,  that  if  it  be  possible  for  a  human  being  to  live  en- 
tirely above  the  world  and  the  things  of  it,  for  some  time 
afterwards  I  was  that  person.  The  ravishing  sound  of  the 
songs  and  hallelujahs  that  I  heard,  and  the  very  words  ut- 
tered, were  not  out  of  my  ears  when  awake,  for  at  least  three 
years.  All  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  were  in  my  sight  as 
nothing  and  vanity  ;  and  so  great  were  my  ideas  of  heavenly 
glory,  that  nothing  which  did  not  in  some  measure  relate 
to  it  could  command  my  serious  attention.' 


116  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

"  The  author  has  been  particularly  solicitous  to  obtain 
every  confirmation  of  this  extraordinary  event  in  the  life  of 
Mr.  Tennent.  He  accordingly  wrote  to  every  person  he 
could  think  of,  likely  to  have  conversed  with  Mr.  T.  on  the 
subject.  He  received  several  answers ;  but  the  following 
letter  from  the  worthy  successor  of  Mr.  Tennent,  in  the  pas- 
toral charge  of  his  church,  will  answer  for  the  author's  pur- 
pose : 

"  '  Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  December  10th,  1805. 
"  '  Dear  S'ir  : — Agreeably  to  your  request,  I  now  send  you 
in  writing  the  remarkable  accounts,  which  I  sometime  since 
gave  you  verbally,  respecting  your  good  friend,  my  worthy 
predecessor,  the  late  Rev.  William  Tennent,  of  this  place. 
In  a  very  free  and  feeling  conversation  on  religion,  and  on 
the  future  rest  and  blessedness  of  the  people  of  God,  (while 
travelling  together  from  Monmouth  to  Princeton,)  I  men- 
tioned to  Mr.  Tennent,  that  I  should  be  highly  gratified  in 
hearing,  from  his  own  mouth,  an  account  of  the  trance 
which  he  was  said  to  have  been  in,  unless  the  relation  would 
be  disagreeable  to  himself  After  a  short  silence,  he  pro- 
ceeded, saying,  that  he  had  been  sick  with  a  fever,  that  the 
fever  increased,  and  he  by  degrees  sunk  under  it.  After 
some  time  (as  his  friends  informed  him)  he  died,  or  appeared 
to  die,  in  the  same  manner  as  persons  usually  do ;  that  in 
laying  him  out,  one  happened  to  draw  his  hand  under  the 
left  arm,  and  perceived  a  small  tremor  in  the  flesh ;  that  he 
was  laid  out,  and  was  cold  and  stiff.  The  time  for  his  fune- 
ral was  appointed,  and  the  people  collected  ;  but  a  young 
doctor,  his  particular  friend,  pleaded  with  great  earnestness 
that  he  might  not  then  be  buried,  as  the  tremor  under  the 
arm  continued ;  that  his  brother  Grilbcrt  became  impatient 
with  the  young  gentleman,  and  said  to  him,  '  What !  a  man 
not  dead,  loho  is  cold  and  stiff  as  a  stake  ?'  Tlie  importu- 
nate young  friend,  however,  prevailed ;  another  day  was  ap- 
pointed for  the  burial,  and  the  people  separated.  During 
this  interval  many  means  were  made  use  of  to  discover,  if 
possible,  some  symptoms  of  life,  but  none  appeared  except- 
ing the  tremor.  The  doctor  never  left  him  for  three  nights 
and  three  days.  The  people  again  met  to  bury  him,  but 
could  not  even  then  obtain  the  consent  of  his  friend,  who 
pleaded   for  one  hour  more ;  and  when  that  was  gone,  he 


THE    REV.     WM.     TENNENT,     JR.  117 

pleaded  for  half  au  hour,  and  then  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour ; 
when,  just  at  the  close  of  this  period,  on  which  hung  his 
last  hope,  iMr.  Tennent  opened  his  eyes.  They  then  pried 
open  his  mouth,  which  was  stiif,  so  as  to  get  a  cjuill  into  it, 
through  which  some  liquid  was  conveyed  iuto  the  stomach, 
and  he  by  degrees  recovered. 

"  '  This  account,  as  intimated  before,  Mr.  Tennent  said  he 
received  from  his  friends.  I  said  to  him,  '  Sir,  you  seem  to 
be  one  indeed  raised  from  the  dead,  and  may  tell  us  what  it 
is  to  die,  and  what  you  were  sensible  of  while  in  that  state.' 
He  replied  in  the  following  words  :  '  As  (o  (^i/inij — I  found 
my  fever  increase,  and  I  became  weaker  and  weaker,  until 
all  at  once  I  found  myself  in  heaven,  as  I  thought.  I  saw 
no  shape  as  to  the  Deity,  hut  glori/  all  unutterable  !'  Here 
he  paused,  as  though  unable  to  find  words  to  express  his 
views,  let  his  bridle  foil,  and  lifting  up  his  hands,  proceeded, 
'  I  can  say,  as  St.  Paul  did,  I  heard  and  I  saw  things  all 
unutterable ;  I  saw  a  great  multitude  before  this  glory,  ap- 
parently in  the  height  of  bliss,  singing  most  melodiously. 
I  was  transported  with  my  own  situation,  viewing  all  my 
troubles  ended  and  my  rest  and  glory  begun,  and  was  about 
to  join  the  great  and  happy  multitude,  when  one  came  to 
me,  looked  me  full  in  the  face,  laid  his  hand  upon  my  shoul- 
der and  said,  '  You  must  go  back.'  These  words  went 
through  me ;  nothing  could  liave  shocked  me  more ;  I  cried 
out.  Lord,  must  I  go  back  ?  With  this  shock  I  opened  my 
eyes  in  this  world.  When  I  saw  I  was  in  the  world  I 
fainted,  then  came  to,  and  fainted  for  several  times,  as  one 
probably  would  naturally  have  done  in  so  weak  a  situation. 

'' '  Mr.  Tennent  further  informed  me  that  he  had  so  en- 
tirely lost  the  recollection  of  his  past  life,  and  the  benefit  of 
his  former  studies,  that  he  could  neither  understand  what 
was  spoken  to  him,  nor  write,  nor  read  his  own  name.  That 
he  had  to  begin  all  anew,  and  did  not  recollect  that  he  had 
over  read  before,  until  he  had  again  learned  his  letters,  and 
was  able  to  pronounce  the  monosyllables,  such  as  thee  and 
fliou.  But,  that  as  his  strength  returned,  which  was  very 
slowly,  his  memory  also  returned.  Yet,  notwithstanding 
the  extreme  feebleness  of  his  situation,  his  recollection  of 
what  he  saw  and  heard  while  in  heaven,  as  he  supposed,  and 
the  sense  of  divine  things,  which  he  there  obtained,  con- 
tinued all  the  time  in  their  full  strength,  so  that  he  was  cou- 


118  THE     LOG     COLLEGE. 

tinually  in  something  like  an  ecstacy  of  mind.  '  And/ 
said  he,  '  for  three  years  the  sense  of  divine  things  contin- 
ued so  great,  and  everything  else  appeared  so  completely 
vain,  when  compared  to  heaven,  that  could  I  have  had  the 
world  for  stooping  down  for  it,  I  believe  I  should  not  have 
thought  of  doing  it.'  " 

"  It  is  not  surprising,  that  after  so  affecting  an  account, 
strong  solicitude  should  have  been  felt  for  further  information 
as  to  the  words,  or  at  least  the  subjects  of  praise  and  ado- 
ration, which  Mr.  Teunent  had  heard.  But  when  he  was 
requested  to  communicate  these,  he  gave  a  decided  negative, 
adding,  '■  You  will  know  them,  with  many  other  particulars, 
hereafter,  as  you  will  find  the  whole  among  my  papers ;' 
alluding  to  his  intention  of  leaving  the  writer  hereof  his 
executor,  which  precluded  any  further  solicitation.* 

"  The  pious  and  candid  reader  is  left  to  his  own  reflections 
on  this  very  extraordinary  occurrence.  The  facts  have  beoi 
stated,  and  they  are  unquestionable.  The  writer  will  only 
ask  whether  it  be  contrary  to  revealed  truth  or  to  reason,  to 
believe  that  in  every  age  of  the  world,  instances  like  that 
which  is  here  recorded  have  occurred,  to  furnish  liviny  tes- 
tiviony  of  the  reality  of  the  invisible  world,  and  of  the  infi- 
nite importance  of  eternal  concerns  ? 

''As  soon  as  circumstances  would  permit,  Mr.  Tennent 
was  licensed,  and  began  to  preach  the  everlasting  gospel 
with  great  zeal  and  success.  The  death  of  his  brother  John, 
who  had  been  some  time  settled  as  minister  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  at  Freehold,  in  the  county  of  Monmouth,  New 
Jersey,  left  that  congregation  in  a  destitute  state.  They 
had  experienced  so  much  spiritual  benefit  from  the  indefa- 
tigable labours  and  pious  zeal  of  this  able  minister  of  Jesus 

*  "It  was  so  ordered,  in  the  course  of  divine  Providence,  tbat  the 
writer  was  sorely  disappointed  in  his  expectation  of  obtaining  the  papers 
here  alluded  to. '  Such,  however,  was  the  will  of  heaven  !  Mr.  Tenneut's 
death  happened  during  the  revolutionary  war,  when  the  enemy  separated 
the  writer  from  him,  so  as  to  render  it  impracticable  to  attend  him  on  a 
dying  bed;  and  before  it  was  possible  to  get  to  his  house,  after  his  death 
(the  writer  being  with  the  American  army  at  the  Valley-Forge),  his  son 
came  from  Charleston,  and  lOok  his  mother,  and  his  father's  papers  and 
property,  and  returned  to  Carolina.  About  tifty  miles  from  Charleston,  the 
son  was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  died  among  entire  strangers;  and  never 
since,  though  the  writer  was  left  executor  to  the  son  also,  could  any  trace 
of  the  father's  papers  be  discovered  by  him." 


THE    REV,     W  M  .     T  E  X  X  E  ?;  T ,    JR.  119 

Christ,  that  they  soon  turned  their  attention  to  his  brother, 
"who  was  received  on  trial,  and  after  one  year  was  found  to 
be  no  unworthy  successor  to  so  excellent  a  predecessor.  In 
October,  1733,  Mr.  Tennent  was  regularly  ordained  their 
pastor,  and  continued  so  through  the  whole  of  a  pretty  long 
life ;  one  of  the  best  proofs  of  ministerial  fidelity. 

"  Although  his  salary  was  small,  (it  is  thought  under 
£  100,)  yet  the  glebe  belonging  to  the  church  was  an  excel- 
lent plantation,  on  which  he  lived,  and  which,  with  care 
and  good  farming,  was  capable  of  maintaining  a  family  with 
comfort.  But  his  inattention  to  the  things  of  this  world 
was  so  great,  that  he  left  the  management  of  his  temporal 
concerns  wholly  to  a  faithful  servant,  in  whom  he  placed 
great  confidence.  After  a  short  time  he  found  his  worldly 
aiFairs  were  becoming  embarrassed.  His  steward  reported 
to  him  that  he  was  in  debt  to  the  merchant  between  201. 
and  30?.,  and  he  knew  of  no  means  of  payment,  as  the  crops 
had  fallen  short.  Mr.  Tennent  mentioned  this  to  an  inti- 
mate friend,  a  merchant  of  New  York,  who  was  on  a  visit 
at  his  house.  His  friend  told  him  that  this  mode  of  life 
would  not  do,  that  he  must  get  a  wife  to  attend  to  his  tem- 
poral affairs,  and  to  comfort  his  leisure  hours  by  conjugal 
endearments.  He  smiled  at  the  idea,  and  assured  him  it 
never  could  be  the  case  unless  some  friend  would  provide 
one  for  him,  for  he  knew  not  how  to  go  about  it.  His 
friend  told  him  he  was  ready  to  undertake  the  business ; 
that  he  had  a  sister-in-law,  an  excellent  woman,  of  great 
piety,  a  widow  of  his  own  age,  and  one  peculiarly  suited  in 
all  respects  to  his  character  and  circumstances.  In  short, 
that  she  was  every  thing  he  ought  to  look  for ;  and  if  he 
would  go  with  him  to  New  York  the  next  day,  he  would 
settle  the  negotiation  for  him.  To  this  he  soon  assented. 
The  next  evening  found  him  in  that  city,  and  before  noon 
the  day  after,  he  was  introduced  to  Mrs.  Noble.  He  was 
much  pleased  with  her  appearance ;  and  when  left  alone 
with  her,  abruptly  told  her  that  he  supposed  her  brother 
had  informed  her  of  his  errand ;  that  neither  his  time  nor 
inclination  would  suffer  him  to  use  much  ceremony,  but  that 
if  she  approved  the  measure,  he  would  attend  his  charge  on 
the  next  Sabbath  and  return  on  Monday,  be  married  and 
immediately  take  her  home.  The  lady  with  some  hesitation 
and  difficult}^  at  last  consented,  being  convinced  that  his 


120  THE    LOa    COLLEGE. 

situation  and  circumstances  rendered  it  proper.  Thus  in 
one  week  she  found  herself  mistress  of  his  house.  She 
proved  a  most  invaluable  treasure  to  him,  more  than  answer- 
ing every  thing  said  of  her  by  an  affectionate  brother.  She 
took  the  care  of  his  temporal  concerns  upon  her,  extricated 
him  from  debt,  and  by  a  happy  union  of  prudence  and  econo- 
my, so  managed  all  his  worldly  business  that  in  a  few  years 
his  circumstances  became  easy  and  comfortable.  In  a  word, 
in  her  was  literally  fulfilled  the  declaration  of  Solomon,  that 
'  a  virtuous  woman  is  a  crown  to  her  husband,  and  that  her 
price  is  far  above  rubies.'  Besides  several  children  who 
died  in  infancy,  he  had  by  her  three  sons  who  attained  the 
age  of  manhood ;  John,  who  studied  physic,  and  died  in  the 
West  Indies  when  about  thirty-three  years  of  age  ;  William, 
a  man  of  superior  character,  and  minister  of  the  Independent 
church  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  who  died  the  latter 
end  of  September  or  beginning  of  October,  A.  D.  1777, 
about  thirty-seven  years  old ;  and  Gilbert,  who  also  practised 
physic,  and  died  at  Freehold  before  his  father,  aged  twenty- 
eight  years.  Few  parents  could  boast  three  sons  of  a  more 
manly  or  handsome  appearance;  and  the  father  gave  them 
the  most  liberal  education  that  the  country  could  afford. 

"  Mr.  Tennent's  inattention  to  earthly  things  continued 
till  his  eldest  son  was  about  three  years  old,  when  he  led 
him  out  into  the  fields  on  a  Lord's  day  after  public  worship. 
The  design  of  the  walk  was  for  religious  meditation.  As  he 
went  along,  accidentally  casting  his  eye  on  the  child,  a 
thought  suddenly  struck  him,  and  he  asked  himself  this 
question  :  '  Should  God  in  his  providence  take  me  hence, 
what  would  become  of  this  child  and  his  mother,  for  whom 
I  have  never  taken  any  personal  care  to  make  provision  ? 
How  can  I  answer  this  negligence  to  God  and  to  them  V 
The  impropriety  of  his  inattention  to  the  relative  duties  of 
life,  which  God  had  called  him  to,  and  the  consideration  of 
the  sacred  declaration,  '  that  he  who  does  not  provide  for 
his  own  household  has  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  than 
an  infidel,'  had  such  an  impressive  effect  on  his  mind,  that 
it  almost  deprived  him  of  his  senses.  He  saw  his  conduct, 
which  before  he  thought  arose  entirely  from  a  deep  sense  of 
divine  things,  in  a  point  of  light  in  which  he  never  before 
had  viewed  it.  He  immediately  attempted  to  return  home, 
but  so  great  was  his  distress,  that  it  was  with  diflSculty  he 


THE    REV.   WM.    TENNENT,   JR.  121 

could  get  along ;  till,  all  at  once,  he  was  relieved  by  as  sud- 
denly recurring  to  that  text  of  scripture,  which  came  into 
his  mind  with  extraordinary  force  :  '  But  unto  the  tribe  of 
Levi  Moses  gave  not  any  inheritance;  the  Lord  God  of  Israel 
was  their  inheritance.'  Such,  however,  was  the  effect  of 
this  unexpected  scene  on  Mr.  Tennent's  mind  and  judgment, 
that  ever  afterwards  he  prudently  attended  to  the  temporal 
business  of  life,  still,  however,  in  perfect  subordination  to 
the  great  things  of  eternity ;  and  became  fully  convinced 
that  God  was  to  be  faithfully  served,  as  well  by  discharging 
relative  duties  in  his  love  and  fear,  as  by  the  more  imme- 
diate acts  of  devotion.  He  clearly  perceived  that  every  duty 
had  its  proper  time  and  place,  as  well  as  motive ;  that  we 
had  a  right,  and  were  called  of  God  to  eat  and  drink,  and 
to  be  properly  clothed ;  and  of  course  that  care  should  be 
taken  to  procure  those  things,  provided  that  all  be  done  to 
the  glory  of  God.  In  the  duties  of  a  gospel  minister,  how- 
ever, especially  as  they  related  to  his  pastoral  charge,  he 
still  engaged  with  the  utmost  zeal  and  faithfulness ;  and  was 
esteemed  by  all  ranks  and  degrees,  as  far  as  his  labours  ex- 
tended, as  a  fervent,  useful,  and  successful  preacher  of  the 
gospel. 

"  His  judgment  of  mankind  was  such  as  to  give  him  a 
marked  superiority,  in  this  respect,  over  his  contemporaries, 
and  greatly  aided  him  in  his  ministerial  functions.  He  was 
scarcely  ever  mistaken  in  the  character  of  a  man  with  whom 
he  conversed,  though  it  was  but  for  a  few  hours.  He  had 
an  independent  mind,  which  was  seldom  satisfied  on  import- 
ant subjects  without  the  best  evidence  that  was  to  be  had. 
His  manner  was  remarkably  impressive ;  and  his  sermons, 
although  seldom  polished,  were  generally  delivered  with 
such  indescribable  power,  that  he  was  truly  an  able  and  a 
successful  minister  of  the  New  Testament.  He  could  say 
things  from  the  pulpit,  which,  if  said  by  almost  any  other 
man,  would  have  been  thought  a  violation  of  propriety.  But 
by  him  they  were  delivered  in  a  manner  so  peculiar  to  him- 
self, and  so  extremely  impressive,  that  they  seldom  foiled  to 
please  and  to  instruct.  As  an  instance  of  this,  the  following 
anecdote  is  given,  of  the  truth  of  which  the  writer  was  a 
witness. 

"  Mr.  Tennent  was  passing  through  a  town  in  the  state 
of  New  Jersey,  in  which  he  was  a  stranger  and  had  never 
11 


122  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

preached,  and  stopping  at  a  friend's  house  to  dine,  was 
informed  that  it  was  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  in  the 
congregation,  on  account  of  a  very  remarkable  and  severe 
drought,  which  threatened  the  most  dangerous  consequences 
to  the  fruits  of  the  earth.  His  friend  had  just  returned 
from  church,  and  the  intermission  was  but  half  an  hour. 
Mr.  Tennent  was  requested  to  preach,  and  with  great  diffi- 
culty consented,  as  he  wished  to  proceed  on  his  journey. 
At  church  the  people  were  surprised  to  see  a  preacher, 
wholly  unknown  to  them,  and  entirely  unexpected,  ascend 
the  pulpit.  His  whole  appearance,  being  in  a  travelling 
dress,  covered  with  dust,  wearing  an  old  fashioned  large 
wig,  discoloured  like  his  clothes,  and  a  long  meagre  visage, 
engaged  their  attention,  and  excited  their  curiosity.  On 
his  rising  up,  instead  of  beginning  to  pray,  as  was  the  usual 
practice,  he  looked  around  the  congregation  with  a  piercing 
eye  and  earnest  attention,  and  after  a  minute's  profound 
silence,  he  addressed  them  with  great  solemnity  in  the  fol- 
lowing words  :  '  My  beloved  brethren  !  I  am  told  you  have 
come  here  to-day  to  fast  and  pray ;  a  very  good  work  indeed, 
provided  you  have  come  with  a  sincere  desire  to  glorify  Grod 
thereby.  But  if  your  design  is  merely  to  comply  with  a 
customary  practice,  or  with  the  wish  of  your  church  officers, 
you  are  guilty  of  the  greatest  folly  imaginable,  as  you  had 
much  better  have  staid  at  home  and  earned  your  three  shil- 
lings and  sixpence,  (at  that  time  the  stated  price  for  a 
day's  labour ;)  but  if  your  minds  are  indeed  impressed 
with  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  and  you  are  really  de- 
sirous of  humbling  yourselves  before  Almighty  God,  your 
Heavenly  Father,  come,  join  with  me,  and  let  us  pray.' 
This  had  an  effiict  so  uncommon  and  extraordinary  on  the 
congi'egation,  that  the  utmost  seriousness  was  universally 
manifested.  The  prayer  and  the  sermon  added  greatly  to 
the  impressions  already  made,  and  tended  to  rouse  the  atten- 
tion, influence  the  mind,  command  the  affections,  and  increase 
the  temper  which  had  been  so  happily  produced.  Many  had 
reason  to  bless  God  for  his  unexpected  visit,  and  to  reckon 
this  day  one  of  the  happiest  of  their  lives. 

*<  The  writer  having  requested  of  the  present  Rev.  Dr. 
William  M.  Tennent  a  written  account  of  an  anecdote  rela- 
tive to  his  uncle,  which  he  had  once  heard  him  repeat  ver- 
bally, received  in  reply  the  following  letter  : 


THE    REV.    WM.     TENNENT,     JR.  123 

Abington,  January  11  th,  1806. 

* "  Sir — The  anecdote  of  my  venerable  relative,  the  Rev. 
William  Tennent,  of  Freehold,  which  30U  wished  me  to  send 
to  you,  is  as  follows  : 

'  "  During  the  great  revival  of  religion,  which  took  place 
under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  and  others,  distin- 
guished for  their  piety  and  zeal  at  that  period,  Mr.  Tennent 
was  laboriously  active,  and  much  engaged  to  help  forward 
the  work ;  in  the  performance  of  which  he  met  with  strong 
and  powerful  temptations.  The  following  is  related  as  re- 
ceived in  substance,  from  his  own  lips,  and  may  be  consid- 
ere  1  as  extraordinary  and  singularly  striking. 

'  "  On  the  evening  preceding  public  worship,  which  was  to 
bo  attended  next  day,  he  selected  a  subject  for  the  discourse 
which  was  to  be  delivered,  and  made  some  progress  in  his 
|)reparations.  In  the  morning  he  resumed  the  same  subject, 
with  an  intention  to  extend  his  thoughts  further  on  it,  but 
was  presently  assaulted  with  a  temptation,  that  the  Bible 
which  he  then  held  in  his  hand  was  not  of  Divine  authority, 
but  the  invention  of  man.  He  instantly  endeavoured  to 
repel  the  temptation  by  prayer,  but  his  endeavours  proved 
unavailing.  The  temptation  continued,  and  fastened  upon 
him  with  greater  strength  as  the  time  advanced  for  public 
service.  He  lost  all  the  thoughts  which  he  had  on  his 
subject  the  preceding  evening.  He  tried  other  subjects, 
but  could  get  nothing  for  the  people.  The  whole  book  of 
Crod,  under  that  distressing  state  of  mind,  was  a  sealed 
book  to  him ;  and  to  add  to  his  affliction,  he  was,  to  use  his 
own  words,  'shut  up  in  prayer.'  A  cloud,  dark  as  that  of 
Egypt,  oppressed  his  mind. 

'  "  Thus  agonized  in  spirit,  he  proceeded  to  the  church, 
where  he  found  a  large  congregation  assembled,  and  wait- 
ing to  hear  the  word ;  and  then  it  was,  he  observed,  that 
he  was  more  deeply  distressed  than  ever,  aud  especially  for 
the  dishonour  which  he  feared  would  fall  upon  religion, 
through  him,  that  day.  lie  resolved,  however,  to  attempt 
the  sci'vice.  He  introduced  it  by  singing  a  psalm,  during 
which  time  his  agitations  were  increased  to  the  highest  de- 
gree. When  the  moment  for  prayer  commenced,  he  arose, 
as  one  in  the  most  perilous  and  painful  situation,  and  with 
arms  extended  to  the  heavens,  began  with  this  outcry, 
*  Lonl,  Jiair  mercy  vjwn  me!'     Upon  the  utterance  of  this 


124  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

petition  he  was  heard ;  the  thick  cloud  instantly  broke 
away,  and  an  unspeakably  joyful  light  shone  in  upon  his 
soul,  so  that  his  spirit  seemed  to  be  caught  up  to  the  hea- 
vens, and  he  felt  as  though  he  saw  Ood,  as  Moses  did  on 
the  mount,  face  to  face,  and  was  carried  forth  to  him  with 
an  enlargement  greater  than  he  had  ever  before  experienced, 
and  on  every  page  of  the  Scriptures  saw  his  Divinity  in- 
scribed in  brightest  colours.  The  result  was  a  deep  solem- 
nity on  the  face  of  the  whole  congregation,  and  the  house 
at  the  end  of  the  prayer  was  a  Bochim.  He  gave  them  the 
subject  of  his  evening  meditations,  which  was  brought  to 
his  full  remembrance,  with  an  overflowing  abundance  of 
other  weighty  and  solemn  matter.  The  Lord  blessed  the 
discourse,  so  that  it  proved  the  happy  means  of  the  conver- 
sion of  about  thirty  persons.  This  day  he  spoke  of  ever 
afterwards  as  his  harvest-day.  4 

"  '  I  am,  yours  with  esteem, 

"  '  WILLIAM  M.  TENNENT.' 

"  "While  on  this  subject,  we  may  introduce  another  anec- 
dote of  this  wonderful  man,  to  show  the  dealings  of  God 
with  him,  and  the  deep  contemplations  of  his  mind.  He 
was  attending  the  duties  of  the  Lord's  day  in  his  own  con- 
gregation as  usual,  where  the  custom  was  to  have  morning 
and  evening  service,  with  only  a  half  hour's  intermission,  to 
relieve  the  attention.  He  had  preached  in  the  morning, 
and  in  the  intermission  had  walked  into  the  woods  for  medi- 
tation, the  weather  being  warm.  He  was  reflecting  on  the 
infinite  wisdom  of  God,  as  manifested  in  all  his  works,  and 
particularly  in  the  wonderful  method  of  salvation,  through 
the  death  and  sufferings  of  his  beloved  Son.  This  subject 
suddenly  opened  on  his  mind  with  such  a  flood  of  light, 
that  his  views  of  the  gloi*y,  and  the  infinite  majesty  of  Je- 
hovah, were  so  inexpressibly  great  as  entirely  to  overwhelm 
him,  and  he  fell,  almost  lifeless,  to  the  ground.  When  he 
had  revived  a  little,  all  he  could  do  was  to  raise  a  fervent 
prayer  that  God  would  withdraw  himself  from  him,  or  that 
he  must  perish  under  a  view  of  his  ineffable  glory.  When 
able  to  reflect  on  his  situation,  he  could  not  but  abhor  him- 
self as  a  weak  and  despicable  worm,  and  seemed  to  be  over- 
come with  astonishment,  that  a  creature  so  unworthy  and 
insufficient  had  ever  dai'ed  to  attempt  the  instruction  of  his 


THE    REV.     W  M  .    T  E  N  N  E  N  T  ,    J  11 .  125 

fcllow-men  in  the  nature  and  attributes  of  so  glorious  a 
Being.  Overstaying  his  usual  time,  some  of  his  elders  went 
in  search  of  him,  and  found  him  prostrate  on  the  ground, 
unable  to  rise,  and  incapable  of  informing  them  of  the  cause. 
They  raised  him  up,  and  after  some  time  brought  him  to 
the  church,  and  supported  him  to  the  pulpit,  which  he 
ascended  on  his  hands  and  knees,  to  the  no  small  astonish- 
ment of  the  congregation.  He  remained  silent  a  consider- 
able time,  earnestly  supplicating  Almighty  God  (as  he  told 
the  writer)  to  hide  himself  from  him,  that  he  might  be  ena- 
bled to  address  his  people,  who  were  by  this  time  lost  in 
wonder  to  know  what  had  produced  this  uncommon  event. 
His  prayers  were  heard,  and  he  became  able  to  stand  up,  by 
holding  the  desk.  He  now  began  the  most  aflFecting  and 
pathetic  address  that  the  congregation  had  ever  received 
from  him.  He  gave  a  surprising  account  of  the  views  he 
had  of  the  infinite  wisdom  of  God,  and  greatly  deplored  his 
own  incapacity  to  speak  to  them  concerning  a  Being  so  infi- 
nitely glorious  beyond  all  his  powers  of  description.  He 
attempted  to  show  something  of  what  had  been  discovered 
to  him  of  the  astonishing  wisdom  of  Jehovah,  of  which  it 
was  impossible  for  human  nature  to  form  adequate  concep- 
tions. He  then  broke  out  into  so  fervent  and  expressive  a 
prayer,  as  greatly  to  sui-prise  the  congregation,  and  draw 
tears  from  every  eye.  A  sermon  followed  that  continued 
the  solemn  scene,  and  made  very  lasting  impressions  on  all 
the  hearers.* 

**  The  great  increase  of  communicants  in  his  church  was 
a  good  evidence  of  his  pastoral  care  and  powerful  preaching, 
as  it  exceeded  that  of  most  churches  in  the  Synod.  But 
his  labours  were  not  confined  to  the  pulpit.  He  was  inde- 
fatigable in  his  endeavours  to  communicate,  in  private 
families,  a  savour  of  the  knowledge  of  spiritual  and  divine 
things.  In  his  parochial  visits,  he  used  regularly  to  go 
through  his  congregation  in  order,  so  as  to  carry  the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ  to  every  house.     He  earnestly 


*  Mr.  Tennent  did  not  confine  himself  to  any  particular  length  in  his 
sermons,  but  regulated  this  very  much  by  his  feelings.  The  late  Rev. 
Dr.  Spring,  of  Newburyport,  informed  the  editor,  that  he  and  other  stu- 
dents of  Nassau  Hall,  walked  twenty  miles  to  hear  him  preach,  and  the 
sermon,  measured  by  the  watch,  was  no  more  than  thirteen  minutes  in 
the  delivery. 

11* 


126  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

pressed  it  on  the  conscience  of  parents  to  instruct  their 
children  at  home  by  plain  and  easy  questions,  so  as  gradu- 
ally to  expand  their  young  minds,  and  prepare  them  for  the 
reception  of  the  more  practical  doctrines  of  the  Grospel.  In 
this  Mr.  Tennent  has  presented  an  excellent  example  to  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry;  for  certain  it  is,  that  more  good 
may  be  done  in  a  congregation  by  this  domestic  mode  of 
instruction  than  any  one  can  imagine  who  has  not  made 
the  trial.  Children  and  servants  are  in  this  way  prepared 
for  the  teachings  of  the  sanctuary,  and  to  reap  the  full 
benefit  of  the  word  publicly  preached.  He  made  it  a  prac- 
tice in  all  these  visits  to  enforce  practical  religion  on  all, 
high  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  young  and  old,  master  and 
servant.  To  this  he  was  particularly  attentive,  it  being  a 
favourite  observation  with  him,  '  that  he  loved  a  religion 
that  a  man  could  live  by.' 

"  Mr.  Tennent  carefully  avoided  the  discussion  of  contro- 
versial subjects,  unless  specially  called  to  it  by  particular 
circumstances,  and  then  he  was  ever  ready  to  assign  the  rea- 
son of  his  faith.  The  following  occurrence  will  show  the 
general  state  of  his  mind  and  feelings  in  regard  to  such  sub- 
jects. A  couple  of  young  clergymen,  visiting  at  his  "house, 
entered  into  a  dispute  on  the  ([uestion,  at  that  time  much  con- 
troverted in  New  England,  whether  faith  or  repentance  were 
first  in  order,  in  the  conversion  of  a  sinner.  Not  being  able 
to  determine  the  point,  they  agreed  to  make  Mr.  Tennent  their 
umpire,  and  to  dispute  the  subject  at  length  before  him. 
He  accepted  the  proposal,  and,  after  a  solemn  debate  for 
some  time,  his  opinion  being  asked,  he  very  gravely  took 
his  pipe  from  his  mouth,  looked  out  of  his  window,  pointed 
to  a  man  ploughing  on  a  hill  at  some  distance,  and  asked 
the  young  clergymen  if  they  knew  that  man ;  on  their 
answering  in  the  negative,  he  told  them  it  was  one  of  his 
elders,  who,  to  his  full  conviction,  had  been  a  sincere  Chris- 
tian for  more  than  thirty  years.     '  Now,'  said  Mr.  Tennent, 

*  ask  him  whether  faith  or  repentance  came  first ;  what  do 
you  think  he  would   say  V     They  said  they  could  not  tell. 

*  Then,'  says  he,  '  I  will  tell  you ;  he  would  say  that  he 
cared  not  which  came  first,  but  that  he  had  got  them  both. 
Now,  my  friends,'  he  added,  '  be  careful  that  you  have  both 
a  true  faith,  and  a  sincere  repentance,  and  do  not  be  greatly 
troubled  which  comes  first.'     It  is  not,  however,  to  be  sup- 


THE    REV.     WM.    TENNENT,    JR.  127 

posed  by  this,  that  Mr.  Teunent  was  unfriendly  to  a  deep 
and  accurate  examination  of  all  important  theological  doc- 
trines. There  were  few  men  more  earnest  than  he  to  have 
young  clergymen  well  instructed,  and  thoroughly  furnished 
for  their  work.  This,  indeed,  was  an  object  on  which  his 
heart  was  much  set,  and  which  he  exerted  himself  greatly 
to  promote. 

"  Mr.  Tennent  was  remarkably  distinguished  for  a  pointed 
attention  to  the  particular  circumstances  and  situation  of  the 
afflicted,  either  in  body  or  mind,  and  would  visit  them  with 
as  much  care  and  attention  as  a  physician,  and  frequently 
indeed  proved  an  able  one  to  both  soul  and  body.  But  his 
greatest  talent  was  that  of  a  peace-maker,  which  he  possessed 
in  so  eminent  a  degree,  that  probably  none  have  exceeded, 
and  A'cry  few  have  equalled  him  in  it.  He  was  sent  for,  far 
and  near,  to  settle  disputes,  and  heal  difficulties  which  arose 
in  congregations ;  and  happily  for  those  concerned,  he  was 
generally  successful.  Indeed  he  seldom  would  relinquish 
his  object  till  he  had  accomplished  it. 

"  But  while  this  man  of  God  was  thus  successful  in  pro- 
moting the  best  interests  of  his  fellow  creatures,  and  ad- 
vancing the  glory  of  his  Lord  and  Master,  the  great  enemy 
of  mankind  was  not  likely  to  observe  the  destruction  of  his 
kingdom  without  making  an  eifort  to  prevent  it.  As  he 
assailed  our  blessed  Saviour  in  the  days  of  his  flesh,  with 
all  his  art  and  all  his  power,  so  has  he  always  made  the 
faithful  followers  of  the  Redeemer  the  objects  of  his  invete- 
rate malice.  If  the  good  man  of  whom  we  write  was  greatly 
honoured  by  peculiar  communications  from  on  high,  he  was 
also  very  often  the  subject  of  the  severe  buffetings  of  that 
malignant  and  fallen  spirit. 

"  The  time  of  which  we  are  now  speaking  was  remarkable 
for  a  great  revival  of  religion,  in  which  Sir.  Tennent  was 
considerably  instrumental,  and  in  which  a  Mr.  John  Row- 
land, brought  up  with  Mr.  Tennent  at  the  Log  College,  was 
also  very  remarkable  for  his  successful  preaching  among  all 
ranks  of  people.  Possessing  a  commanding  eloquence,  as 
well  as  other  estimable  qualities,  he  became  very  popular, 
and  was  much  celebrated  throughout  the  country.  His 
celebrity  and  success  were  subjects  of  very  serious  regret  to 
many  careless  worldlings,  who  placed  all  their  happiness  in 
the  enjoyment  of  temporal  objects,  and  considered  and  reprc- 


128  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

sented  Mr.  Rowland  and  his  brethren  as  fanatics  and  hypo- 
crites. This  was  specially  applicable  to  many  of  the  great 
men  of  the  then  province  of  New  Jersey,  and  particularly  to 
the  Chief  Justice,  who  was  well  known  for  his  disbelief  of 
revelation.  There  was  at  this  time  prowling  through  the 
country,  a  noted  man  by  the  name  of  Tom  Bell,  whose 
knowledge  and  understanding  were  very  considerable,  and 
who  greatly  excelled  in  low  art  and  cunning.  His  mind 
was  totally  debased,  and  his  whole  conduct  betrayed  a  soul 
capable  of  descending  to  every  species  of  iniquity.  In  all 
the  arts  of  theft,  robbery,  fraud,  deception,  and  defamation, 
he  was  so  deeply  skilled,  and  so  thoroughly  practised,  that 
it  is  believed  he  never  had  his  equal  in  this  country.  He 
had  been  indicted  in  almost  every  one  of  the  middle  colonies, 
but  his  ingenuity  and  cunning  always  enabled  him  to  escape 
punishment.  This  man  unhappily  resembled  Mr.  Rowland 
in  his  external  appearance,  so  aa  hardly  to  be  known  from 
him  without  the  most  careful  examination. 

"  It  so  happened  that  Tom  Bell  arrived  one  evening  at  a 
tavern  in  Princeton,  dressed  in  a  dark,  parson's  gray  frock. 
On  his  entering  the  tavern  about  dusk,  the  late  John  Stock- 
ton, Esq.,  of  that  town,  a  pious  and  respectable  man,  to 
whom  Mr.  Rowland  was  well  known,  went  up  to  Bell,  and 
addressed  him  as  Mr.  Rowland,  and  was  inviting  him  to  go 
home  with  him.  Bell  assured  him  of  his  naistake.  It  wa3 
with  some  difficulty  that  Mr.  Stockton  acknowledged  his 
error,  and  then  informed  Bell  that  it  had  arisen  from  his 
great  resemblance  to  Mr.  Rowland.  This  hint  was  sufficient 
for  the  prolific  genius  of  that  notorious  impostor.  The  next 
day  Bell  went  into  the  county  of  Hunterdon,  and  stopped 
in  a  congregation  where  Mr.  Rowland  had  formerly  preached 
once  or  twice,  but  where  he  was  not  intimately  known.  Here 
he  met  with  a  member  of  the  congregation,  to  whom  he 
introduced  himself  as  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rowland,  who  had 
preached  to  them  some  time  before.  This  gentleman  im- 
mediately invited  him  to  his  house  to  spend  the  weekj  and 
begged  him,  as  the  people  were  without  a  minister,  to  preach 
for  them  on  the  next  Sabbath,  to  which  ]>ell  agreed,  and 
notice  was  accordingly  given  to  the  neighbourhood.  The 
impostor  was  treated  with  every  mark  of  attention  and  re- 
spect ;  and  a  private  room  was  assigned  to  him  as  a  study, 
to  prepare  for  the  Sabbath.     The  sacred  day  arrived,  and 


THE   REV.    WM.    TENNENT,    JR.  129 

he  was  invited  to  ride  to  church  with  the  ladies  in  the  family 
wagon,  and  the  master  of  the  house  accompanied  them  on 
an  elegant  horse.  When  they  had  arrived  near  the  church, 
Bell  on  a  sudden  discovered  that  he  had  left  his  notes  in  his 
study,  and  proposed  to  ride  back  for  them  on  the  fine  horse, 
by  which  means  he  should  be  able  to  return  in  time  for  the 
■service.  This  proposal  was  instantly  agreed  to,  and  Bell 
mounted  the  horse,  returned  to  the  house,  rifled  the  desk  of 
his  host,  and  made  off  with  the  horse.  Wherever  he  stopped 
he  called  himself  the  Rev.  John  Kowland. 

"  At  the  time  this  event  took  place,  Messrs.  Tennent  and 
Rowland,  had  gone  into  Pennsylvania,  or  Maryland,  with 
Mr.  Joshua  Anderson  and  Mr.  Benjamin  Stevens,  (both 
members  of  a  church  contiguous  to  that  where  Bell  had 
practised  his  fraud,)  on  business  of  a  religious  nature.  Soon 
after  their  return,  Mr.  Rowland  was  charged  with  the  above 
robbery ;  he  gave  bonds  to  appear  at  the  court  at  Trenton, 
and  the  affair  made  a  great  noise  throughout  the  colony. 
At  the  court  of  oyer  and  terminer,  the  judge  charged  the 
grand  jury  on  the  subject  with  great  severity.  After  long 
consideration,  the  jury  returned  into  court  without  finding  a 
bill.  The  judge  reproved  them  in  an  angry  manner,  and  or- 
dered them  out  again.  They  again  returned  without  finding 
a  bill,  and  wore  again  sent  out  with  threatening  of  severe 
punishment  if  they  persisted  in  their  refusal.  At  last  they 
agreed,  and  brought  in  a  bill  for  the  alleged  crime.  On 
the  trial,  Messrs.  Tennent,  Anderson,  and  Stevens  appeared 
as  witnesses,  and  fully  proved  an  alibi  in  favour  of  Mr. 
Rowland,  by  swearing  that  on  the  very  day  on  which  the 
robbery  was  committed  they  were  with  Mr.  Rowland,  and 
heard  him  preach  in  Pennsylvania  or  Maryland.  The  jury 
accordingly  acquitted  him  without  hesitation,  to  the  great 
disappointment  and  mortification  of  his  prosecutors,  and  of 
many  other  enemies  to  the  great  revival  of  religion  that  had 
recently  taken  place ;  but  to  the  great  joy  of  the  serious  and 
well  disposed. 

"  The  spirits  hostile  to  the  spread  of  the  gospel  were  not, 
however,  so  easily  overcome.  In  their  view  an  opportunity 
was  now  presented  favourable  for  inflicting  a  deep  wound  on 
the  cause  of  Christianity ;  and,  as  if  urged  on  by  the  malice 
of  man's  great  enemy,  they  resolved  that  no  means  should 
be  left  untried,  no  arts  unemployed,  for  the  destruction  of 


130  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

these  distinguished  servants  of  God.  Many  and  various 
were  the  circumstances  which  still  contributed  to  inspire 
them  with  hopes  of  success.  The  testimony  of  the  person 
who  had  been  robbed  was  positive  that  Mr.  Rowland  was 
the  robber ;  and  this  testimony  was  corroborated  by  that  of 
a  number  of  individuals  who  had  seen  Tom  Bell  personating 
Mr.  Rowland,  using  his  name,  and  in  possession  of  the  horse. 
These  sons  of  Belial  had  been  able,  after  great  industry  used 
for  the  purpose,  to  collect  a  mass  of  evidence  of  this  kind, 
which  they  considered  as  establishing  the  factj  but  Mr. 
Rowland  was  now  out  of  their  power  by  the  verdict  of  not 
guilty.  Their  vengeance,  therefore,  was  directed  against  the 
witnesses  by  whose  testimony  he  had  been  cleared ;  and  they 
were  accordingly  arraigned  for  perjury  before  a  court  of 
quarter  sessions  in  the  county ;  and  the  grand  jury  received 
a  strict  charge,  the  plain  import  of  which  was  that  these 
good  men  ought  to  be  indicted.  After  an  examination  of 
the  testimony  on  one  side  only,  as  is  the  custom  in  such 
cases,  the  gi-and  jury  did  accordingly  find  bills  of  indictment 
against  Messrs.  Tennent,  Anderson,  and  Stevens,  for  wilful 
and  corrupt  perjury.  Their  enemies,  and  the  enemies  of  the 
gospel,  now  began  to  triumph.  They  gloried  in  the  belief 
that  an  indelible  stain  would  be  fixed  on  the  professors  of 
religion,  and  of  consequence  on  religion  itself;  and  that  this 
new  liijhty  by  which  they  denominated  all  appearance  of  piety, 
would  soon  be  extinguished  for  ever. 

"  These  indictments  were  removed  to  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  poor  Mr.  Anderson,  living  in  the  county,  and  conscious 
of  his  entire  innocence,  could  not  brook  the  idea  of  lying 
under  the  odium  of  the  hateful  crime  of  perjury ;  he  there- 
fore demanded  a  trial  at  the  first  court  of  oyer  and  terminer. 
This  proved  most  seriously  injurious  to  him,  for  he  was  pro- 
nounced guilty,  and  most  cruelly  and  unjustly  condemned  to 
stand  one  hour  on  the  court-house  steps  with  a  paper  on  his 
breast,  whereon  was  written  in  large  letters,  '  This  is  for 
wilful  and  corrupt  perjury ;' which  sentence  was  executed 
upon  him. 

'■'■  Messrs.  Tennent  and  Stevens  were  summoned  to  appear 
at  the  nest  court,  and  attended  accordingly,  depending  on 
the  aid  of  Mr.  John  Coxe,  an  eminent  lawyer,  who  had  been 
previously  employed  to  conduct  their  defence.  As  Mr. 
Tennent  was  wholly  unacquainted  with  the  nature  of  forensic 


THE    REV.     WM.    TENNENT,    JR.  131 

litigation,  and  did  not  know  of  any  person  living  who  could 
prove  his  innocence,  (all  the  persons  who  were  with  him 
being  indicted),  his  only  resource  and  consolation  was  to 
commit  himself  to  the  divine  will,  and  if  he  must  suflfer,  to 
take  it  as  from  the  hand  of  God,  who,  he  well  knew,  could 
make  even  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  him  ;*  and  considering 
it  as  probable  that  he  might  suffer,  he  had  prepared  a  ser- 
mon to  be  preached  from  the  pillory,  if  that"  should  be  his 
fate.  On  his  arrival  at  Trenton,  he  found  the  famous  Mr. 
Smith,  of  New  York,  father  of  the  late  chief  justice  of  Can- 
ada, one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  in  America,  and  of  a  religious 
character,  who  had  voluntarily  attended  to  aid  in  his  defence; 
also  his  brother  Gilbert,  who  was  now  settled  in  the  pas- 
toral charge  of  the  second  Presbyterian  church,  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  who  brought  Mr.  John  Kiusey,  one  of  the  first 
counsellors  of  that  city,  for  the  same  purpose.  Messrs. 
Tennent  and  Stevens  met  these  gentlemen  al>  Mr.  Coxe's  the 
morning  before  the  trial  was  to  come  on.  Mr.  Coxe  re- 
quested that  they  would  bring  in  their  witnesses,  that  they 
might  examine  them  previously  to  their  going  into  court. 
Mr.  Tennent  answered  that  he  did  not  know  of  any  witnesses 
but  God  and  his  own  conscience.  Mr.  Coxe  replied,  *■  If 
you  have  no  witnesses,  sir,  the  trial  must  be  put  oif  j  other- 
wise you  most  certainly  will  be  convicted.  You  well  know 
the  strong  testimony  that  will  be  brought  against  you,  and 
the  exertions  that  arc  making  to  accomplish  your  ruin.' 
Mr.  Tennent  replied,  '  I  am  sensible  of  all  this,  yet  it  never 
shall  be  said  that  I  have  delayed  the  trial,  or  been  afraid  to 
meet  the  justice  of  my  country.  I  know  my  own  innocence, 
and  that  God  whose  I  am,  and  whom  I  serve,  will  n^ver 
suffer  me  to  fall  by  these  snares  of  the  devil,  or  by  the 
wicked  machinations  of  his  agents  or  servants.  Therefore, 
gentlemen,  go  on  to  the  trial.'  Messrs.  Smith  and  Kiusey, 
who  were  both  religious  men,  told  him  that  his  confidence 
and  trust  in  God,  as  a  Christian  minister  of  the  gospel,  was 
well  founded,  and  before  a  heavenly  tribunal  would  be  all- 
important  to  him ;  but  assured  him  it  would  not  avail  in  an 
earthly  court,  and  urged  his  consent  to  put  off  the  trial. 
Mr.  Tennent  continued  inflexible  in  his  refusal ;  on  which 


*  "His  affectionate  congregation  felt  deeply  interested  in  his  critical 
situation,  and  kejit  a  daj'  ol'  fasting  and  prayer  on  tbe  occasion." 


132  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

Mr.  Coxe  told  him  that  since  he  was  determined  to  go  to 
trial,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  informing  him  that  they  had 
discovered  a  flaw  in  the  indictment  which  might  prove  fa- 
vourable to  him  on  a  demurrer.  He  asked  for  an  explana- 
tion, and  on  finding  that  it  was  to  admit  the  fact  in  a  legal 
point  of  view,  and  rest  on  the  law  arising  from  it,  Mr.  Ten- 
nent  broke  out  with  great  vehemence,  saying  that  this  was 
another  snare  of  the  devil,  and  before  he  would  consent  to 
it  he  would  suffer  death.  He  assured  his  counsel  that  his 
confidence  in  God  was  so  strong,  and  his  assurance  that  he 
would  bring  about  his  deliverance  in  some  way  or  other,  was 
so  great,  that  he  did  not  wish  them  to  delay  the  trial  for  a 
moment. 

"■  Mr.  Stevens,  whose  faith  was  not  of  this  description, 
and  who  was  bowed  down  to  the  ground  under  the  most 
gloomy  apprehensions  of  suffering,  as  his  neighbour  Mr. 
Anderson  had  done,  eagerly  seized  the  opportunity  of  escape 
that  waa  offered,  and  was  afterwards  discharged  on  the  ex- 
ception. 

"  Mr.  Coxe  still  urged  putting  off  the  trial,  charging  Mr. 
Tennent  with  acting  the  part  rather  of  a  wild  enthusiast, 
than  of  a  meek  and  prudent  Christian ;  but  he  insisted  that 
they  should  proceed,  and  left  them  in  astonishment,  not 
knowing  how  to  act,  when  the  bell  summoned  them  to 
court. 

"  Mr.  Tennent  had  not  walked  far  in  the  street,  before  he 
met  a  man  and  his  wife,  who  stopped  him,  and  asked  if  his 
name  was  not  Tennent.  He  answered  in  the  aflSrmative, 
and  begged  to  know  if  they  had  any  business  with  him. 
The_  man  replied,  '  you  best  know.'  He  told  his  name,  and 
said  that  he  was  from  a  certain  place  (which  he  mentioned) 
in  Pennsylvania  or  Maryland ;  that  Messrs.  Rowland,  Ten- 
nent, Anderson,  and  Stevens,  had  lodged  either  at  his  house, 
or  in  a  house  wherein  he  and  his  wife  had  been  servants,  (it 
is  not  now  certain  which)  at  a  particular  time,  which  he 
named ;  that  on  the  following  day  they  had  heard  Messrs. 
Tennent  and  Rowland  preach ;  that  some  nights  before  they 
left  home,  he  and  his  wife  waked  out  of  a  sound  sleep,  and 
each  told  the  other  a  dream  which  had  just  occurred,  and 
which  proved  to  be  the  same  in  substance,  to  wit,  that  he, 
Mr.  Tennent,  at  Trenton,  was  in  the  greatest  possible  dis- 
tress, and  that  it  was  in  their  power  and  theirs  only,  to  re- 


THE    REV.     W  M  .    T  E  N  N  E  N  T ,    JR.  133 

Wexe  bim.  Considering  it  as  a  remarkable  dream  only,  tbey 
again  went  to  sleep,  and  it  was  twice  repeated,  precisely  in 
the  same  manner  to  both  of  them.  This  made  so  deep  an 
impression  on  their  minds,  that  they  set  ofi",  and  here  they 
were,  and  would  know  of  him  what  they  were  to  do.  Mr. 
Tennent  immediately  went  with  them  to  the  court  house, 
and  his  counsel,  on  examining  the  man  and  his  wife,  and 
finding  their  testimony  to  be  full  to  the  purpose,  were,  as 
they  well  might  be,  in  perfect  astonishment.  Before  the 
trial  began,  another  persim,  of  a  low  character,  called  on 
Mr.  Tennent,  and  told  him  that  he  was  so  harassed  in  con- 
science, for  the  part  he  had  been  acting  in  this  prosecution, 
that  he  could  get  no  rest  till  he  had  determined  to  come 
and  make  a  full  confession.  He  sent  this  man  to  his  coun- 
sel also.  Soon  after,  Mr.  Stockton  from  Princeton  appeared, 
and  added  his  testimony.  In  short,  they  went  to  trial,  and 
notwithstanding  the  utmost  exertions  of  the  ablest  counsel, 
who  had  been  employed  to  aid  tlie  attorney-general  against 
Mr.  Tennent,  the  advocates  on  his  side  so  traced  every 
movement  of  the  defendant  on  the  Saturday,  Sunday,  and 
Monday,  in  question,  and  satisfied  the  jury  so  perfectly  on 
the  subject,  that  they  did  not  hesitate  honourably  to  acquit 
Mr.  Tennent,  by  their  unanimous  verdict  of  not  (juilti/,  to 
the  great  confusion  and  mortification  of  his  numerous  oppo- 
sers.  Mr.  Tennent  assured  the  writer  of  this,  that  during 
the  whole  of  this  business,  his  spirits  never  failed  him,  and 
that  he  contemplated  the  possibility  of  his  suffering  so  infii- 
mous  a  punishment,  as  standing  in  the  pillory,  without  dis- 
may, and  had  made  preparation,  and  was  fully  determined  to 
deliver  a  sermon  to  the  people  in  that  situation,  if  he  should 
be  placed  in  it. 

"  lie  went  from  Trenton  to  Philadelphia  with  his  brother, 
and  on  his  return  as  he  was  rising  the  hill  at  the  entrance  of 
Trenton,  without  reflecting  on  what  had  happened,  he  acci- 
dentally cast  his  eyes  on  the  pillory,  which  suddenly  so 
filled  him  with  horror  as  completely  to  unman  him,  and  it 
was  with  great  difficulty  that  he  kept  himself  from  falling 
from  his  horse.  He  reached  the  tavern  door  in  considerable 
danger,  was  obliged  to  be  assisted  to  dismount,  and  it  was 
some  time  before  he  could  so  get  the  better  of  his  fears  and 
confusion  as  to  proceed  on  his  journey.  Such  is  the  consti- 
tution  of   the   human  mind !     It   will   often   resist,  with 

12 


134  THE    LOG     COLLEGE. 

unshaken  firmness,  the  severest  external  pressure  and  vio- 
lence ;  and  sometimes  it  yields  without  reason,  when  it  has 
nothing  to  fear.  Or,  should  we  not  rather  say,  such  is  the 
support  which  Grod  sometimes  affords  to  his  people  in  the 
time  of  their  necessity,  and  such  the  manner  in  which  he 
leaves  them  to  feel  their  own  weakness  when  that  necessity 
is  past,  that  all  the  praise  may  be  given  where  alone  it  is 
due  ? 

"  The  writer  sincerely  rejoices,  that  though  a  number  of 
the  extraordinary  incidents  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Tennent 
cannot  be  vouched  by  public  testimony  and  authentic 
documents,  yet  the  singular  manner  in  which  a  gracious 
God  did  appear  for  this  his  fixithful  servant  in  the  time  of 
that  distress,  which  has  just  been  noticed,  is  a  matter  of 
public  notoriety,  and  capable  of  being  verified  by  the  most 
unquestionable  testimony  and  records. 

"  This  special  instance  of  the  interference  of  the 
righteous  Judge  of  all  the  earth  ought  to  yield  consolation 
to  pious  people  in  seasons  of  great  difficulty  and  distress, 
where  there  is  none  that  seems  able  to  deliver  them.  Yet 
it  ought  to  aff"ord  no  encouragement  to  the  enthusiast,  who 
refuses  to  use  the  means  of  preservation  and  deliverance 
which  God  puts  in  his  power.  True  confidence  in  God  is 
always  accompanied  with  the  use  of  all  lawful  means,  and 
with  the  rejection  of  all  that  are  unlawful.  It  consists  in 
an  unshaken  belief,  that  while  riglit  means  are  used  God 
will  give  that  issue  which  shall  be  most  for  his  glory  and 
his  people's  good.  The  extraordinary  occurrence  here 
recorded  may  also  serve  as  a  solemn  warning  to  the  enemies 
of  God's  people,  and  to  the  advocates  of  infidelity,  not  to 
strive  by  wicked  and  deep  laid  machinations  to  oppose  the 
success  of  the  gospel,  nor  to  attempt  to  injure  the  persons 
and  characters  of  those  faithful  servants  of  the  Most  High, 
whom  sooner  or  later  he  will  vindicate  to  the  unspeakable 
confusion  of  all  who  have  •persecuted  and  traduced  them. 

"  Mr.  Tennent  was  a  man  of  the  most  scrupulous  integ- 
rity, and  though  of  a  very  grave  and  solemn  deportment, 
he  had  a  remarkably  cheerful  disposition,  and  generally 
communicated  his  instructions  with  so  much  ease  and  pleas- 
antry, as  greatly  to  gain  the  confidence  and  affection  of  all 
with  whom  he  conversed,  especially  of  children  and  young 
people.     In  all  his  intercourse  with  strangers  and  men  of 


THE    REV.    W  M  .    T  E  N  N  E  N  T ,    JR.  135 

the  world,  he  so  managed  his  conversation  that,  while 
ho  seldom  neglected  a  proijcr  opportunity  to  impress  the 
mind  with  serious  things,  he  always  made  them  covet  his 
company  rather  than  avoid  it ;  well  knowing  that  there 
is  a  time  for  all  things,  and  that  even  instruction  and 
reproof,  to  be  useful,  must  be  prudently  and  seasonably 
given. 

"  An  instance  of  this  disposition  occurred  in  Virginia. 
The  late  Kev.  Mr.  Samuel  Blair  and  Mr.  Tennent  were  sent 
by  the  Synod  on  a  mission  into  that  province.  'J'hey 
stopped  one  evening  at  a  tavern  for  the  night,  where  they 
found  a  number  of  guests,  with  whom  they  supped  in  a 
common  room.  After  the  table  was  cleared,  our  missiona- 
ries withdrew  from  it.  Cards  were  then  called  for,  and  the 
landlord  brought  in  a  pack,  and  laid  them  on  the  table. 
One  of  the  gentlemen  very  politely  asked  the  missionaries  if 
they  would  not  take  a  cut  with  them,  not  knowing  that  they 
were  clergymen.  Mr.  Tennent  very  pleasantly  answered, 
'  With  all  my  heart,  gentlemen,  if  you  can  convince  us  that 
thereby  we  can  serve  our  Master's  cause,  or  contribute  any 
thing  towards  the  success  of  our  mission.'  This  drew  some 
smart  reply  from  the  gentleman,  when  ]\Ir.  T.  with  solem- 
nity added,  '  We  are  ministers  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 
We  profess  ourselves  his  servants ;  we  are  sent  on  his  busi- 
ness, which  is  to  persuade  mankind  to  repent  of  their  sins, 
to  turn  from  them,  and  to  accept  of  that  happiness  and  sal- 
vation which  is  offered  in  the  gospel.'  This  very  unexpected 
reply,  delivered  in  a  very  tender  though  solemn  manner, 
and  with  great  apparent  sincerity,  so  engaged  the  gentle- 
men's attention,  that  the  cards  were  laid  aside,  and  an 
opportunity  was  afforded,  and  cheerfully  embraced,  for  ex- 
plaining in  a  sociable  conversation,  during  the  rest  of  the 
evening,  some  of  the  leading  and  most  important  doctrines 
of  the  gospel,  to  the  satisfaction  and  apparent  edification  of 
the  hearers. 

"  Resignation  to  the  will  of  God  in  all  his  dispensations, 
however  dark  and  afflictive,  was  among  the  excellent  graces 
that  adorned  the  character  of  this  man  of  God.  '  He  had 
been  tried  in  the  course  of  God's  providence  in  various 
ways ;  but  domestic  afflictions  as  yet  had  not  been  laid  upon 
him.  The  time,  however,  was  now  come  when  his  character 
was  to  be  brightened  by  a  severe  test  of  his  resignation  and 


136  THE     LOG     COLLEGE. 

obedience,  a  test  attended  with  many  peculiarly  distressing 
circumstances.  His  youngest  son,  who  was  a  very  handsome 
man,  had  just  come  into  public  life;  had  commenced  the 
practice  of  physic,  was  married  and  had  one  child.  To  the 
great  distress  of  the  parents  he  discovered,  though  possessed 
of  the  sweetest  temper  and  most  agreeable  manners,  no 
regard  to  the  things  that  belonged  to  his  eternal  peace. 
Wholly  negligent  of  religion,  he  indulged  without  i-estraiut 
in  the  gaiety  and  follies  of  the  world.  The  pious  father 
was  incessant  at  the  throne  of  grace  in  behalf  of  his 
dissipated  son ;  and  was  continually  entertaining  hopes  that 
God  would,  by  the  influences  of  his  Spirit,  arrest  him  in 
his  career,  and  bring  him  into  the  Church  of  Christ,  before 
his  own  summons  should  arrive,  that  he  might  die  in  peace, 
under  the  consoling  hope  of  meeting  this  dear  child  in  a 
better  world.  God,  however,  had  determined  otherwise; 
and  the  son,  while  engaged  in  inoculating  a  number  of 
persons  in  a  house  he  had  obtained  for  the  pui'pose,  near  his 
father's  neighbourhood,  was  seized  in  an  unusually  violent 
manner  with  a  raging  fever.  With  the  disorder  he  was 
brought  to  a  sudden  and  alarming  view  of  his  lost  condition 
by  nature,  and  the  grievous  transgressions  of  his  past  life. 
His  sins  were  all  set  in  dread  array  against  him.  A  hor- 
rible darkness,  and  an  awful  dread  of  the  eternal  displeasure 
of  Jehovah  fell  on  him,  so  as  to  make  him  the  dreadful 
example  of  a  convicted  sinner,  trembling  under  the  con- 
founding presence  of  an  angry  God.  The  affectionate  and 
pious  father  was  constantly  in  prayer  and  supplication,  that 
God  would  have  mercy  upon  him.  He  seldom  left  the  side 
of  his  bed.  For  many  days  the  fever  raged  with  unabated 
fury ;  but  the  immediate  distresses  which  it  occasioned,  were 
lost  or  forgotten  in  the  severer  pains  of  an  awakened  con- 
science. Such  was  the  height  to  which  his  anguish  at  last 
arose,  that  the  bed  on  which  he  lay  was  shaken  by  the 
violent  and  united  convulsions  of  mind  and  body.  The 
parents  were  touched  to  the  quick ;  and  their  unqualified 
submission  to  God,  as  a  sovereign  God,  was  put  to  the  most 
rigorous '  proof.  But  in  due  time  they  came  out  of  the 
furnace,  as  gold  tried  in  the  fire.  God,  in  his  infinite  and 
condescending  grace  and  mercy,  was  at  last  pleased,  in  some 
measure,  to  hear  the  many  prayers  put  up  by  the  parents, 
and  many  pious  friends  for  tho  relief  of  the  poor  sufferer. 


THE    REV.    WM.    TENNENT,    JR.  137 

I 
His  views  of  the  lost  state  of  man  by  nature ;  of  the  only- 
means  of  salvation,  through  the  death  and  suiferings  of  the 
Saviour ;  of  the  necessity  of  the  inward  regenerating  grace 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  became  clear  and  consistent,  and  the 
importance  of  a  pi'actical  acquaintance  with  these  things  was 
deeply  and  rationally  impressed  on  his  mind.  He  now  saw 
that  salvation,  which  he  had  deemed  almost  or  altogether 
hopeless  to  him,  was  possible.  His  mind  became  calm,  and 
he  attended  to  religious  instruction  and  advice.  In  a  short 
time  he  began  to  give  as  much  evidence  of  a  change  of 
heart  as  a  death-bed  repentance  (rarely  to  be  greatly  relied 
on)  can  afford.  He  sent  for  his  companions  in  iniquity, 
and  notwithstanding  his  disorder,  exerted  himself  to  the 
utmost  to  address  them,  which  he  did  in  the  most  solemn, 
awful,  and  impressive  manner,  as  a  person  who,  by  the 
infinite  mercy  of  a  prayer-hearing  God,  had  been  delivered 
from  a  hell  gaping  to  receive  him.  He  besought  them  by 
all  the  terrors  of  everlasting  destruction ;  by  all  the  love 
they  ought  to  bear  to  their  own  immortal  souls ;  by  the 
love  of  a  crucified  Jesus,  who  poured  out  his  soul  unto 
death  that  they  might  live  for  ever ;  by  his  own  awful 
sufierings  and  terrible  example,  that  they  would  repent  and 
turn  to  God.  This  happy  change  was  a  reviving  cordial  to 
the  distressed  and  suffering  father.  His  soul  was  overjoyed, 
and  his  mouth  was  full  of  the  praises  of  redeeming  love. 
His  mind  and  spirits  were  hereby  prepared  with  true 
resignation,  to  surrender  the  son  of  his  advanced  age  to  the 
God  who  gave  him.  After  a  few  days  more  of  severe 
suffering  in  body,  but  rejoicing  in  mind,  the  sou  was. 
removed  from  time  to  eternity.  There  being  no  minister  in 
the  neighbourhood,  the  father  undertook  to  preach  a  funeral 
sermon.  All  the  son's  old  companions  that  could  be  sent 
to  were  especially  invited,  and  the  old  gentleman  preached 
in  such  a  manner,  with  a  particular  address  to  the  young 
men,  as  to  astonish  every  hearer ;  and  while  the  seriously 
inclined  wondered  and  adored,  the  careless  were  confounded 
and  greatly  alarmed. 

"  Scarcely  had  Mr.  Tcnncnt  got  over  this  heavy  affliction, 
and  returned  to  an  active  and  useful  course  of  life  for  a  few 
years,  when  God  again  called  him  to  another  severe  and 
arduous  struggle  of  the  same  nature.  His  eldest  son,  John, 
promised  fair  to  make  a  distinguished  figure  in  life  ;  had  pos- 
12  * 


138  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

sessecl  a  large  share  in  the  affections  of  both  father  and  mother, 
and  was  more  dear  to  their  hearts  than  ever  since  the  death  of 
his  brother.  It  so  happened  that  the  father  was  called  to  New 
York  to  heal  some  differences  between  the  members  of  the 
church  there.  The  next  morning  after  his  arrival  he  went 
into  a  bookstore,  when  one  of  the  ministers  of  the  Episcopal 
church  came  in,  and  on  being  introduced  to  him,  after  the 
common  salutations,  told  him  he  condoled  with  him  on  the 
death  of  his  eldest  son  in  the  West  Indies.  The  old  gen- 
tleman was  at  first  struck  dumb.  With  diflBculty  he  soon 
inquired  how  the  news  came ;  being  informed  that  it  was  by 
a  circuitous  route,  he  suddenly  turned  and  said,  *  The  wall 
of  the  Lord  be  done.'  The  clergyman  observed,  that  it  was 
happy  for  him  to  be  able  so  cordially  to  submit  to  it.  Mr. 
Tennent  replied,  '■  The  Lord  is  my  God,  his  will  be  done.* 
On  being  asked  by  the  bookseller,  who  was  his  particular 
friend,  to  retire  into  the  house,  and  endeavour  to  settle  his 
mind,  he  answered,  '  I  am  come  on  the  Lord's  business ;  my 
duty  requires  that  I  should  finish  it ;  when  that  is  done  I 
shall  have  time  enough  to  mourn  for  my  son.'  He  imme- 
diately set  off  to  attend  his  appointment,  finished  the  busi- 
ness to  his  satisfaction,  and  next  day  returned  home,  where 
he  found  that  a  letter  had  been  received  by  a  neighbour, 
containing  the  same  information  which  he  had  before  re- 
ceived. Thus,  on  the  most  trying  occasion,  he  showed  the 
same  submission  to  the  allotment  of  divine  providence  that 
was  discoverable  in  all  his  former  conduct.  The  following 
extract  from  a  letter,  written  at  this  time  to  the  writer  of 
this  narrative,  will  show  the  temper  of  his  mind  in  his  own 
language  : — 

"  'Freehold,  March,  177G. 
''  '  My  Dear  Sh-: — Perhaps  before  this  comes  to  hand 
you  will  be  informed  that  lie  who  gave  me  the  honourable 
epithet  of  a  father  has,  in  his  wise  and  unerring  providence, 
written  me  childless.*  My  sou  is  dead.  This  account  I 
had  yesterday  from  a  letter  written  to  a  friend ;  the  account 
is  so  straight  (though  nut  cii'cumstantial,)  that  I  cannot 
doubt  its  truth.  The  tender  mother  has  not  heard  it,  nor 
do  I  intend  she  shall  until  authenticated.  This  I  mention 
as  a  caution  to  you,  in  case  you  should  write  me  before  the 

*  ''He  f;cctn,«,  in  the  depth  of  his  distress,  to  h.ave  forgotten  that  he  yet 
had  one  son  loft,  although  he  was  800  miles  distant  from  him." 


THE    REV.     WM.    TENNENT,    JR.  139 

matter  is  published.  Let  the  dear  heart  have  all  possible 
ease  befoi-G  the  load,  which  it  is  likely  will  try  her  lite,  falls 
upon  her.  I  know  her  attachment  to  that  child ;  his  con- 
duct has  been  such  as  greatly  endeared  him  to  us.  Our 
pains  and  expense  in  his  education  have  been  great,  but 
infinitely  short  of  what  God  has  done  for  him.  lie  has, 
therefore,  the  best  right  to  him.  Should  we  then,  were  it 
in  our  power,  obstruct  his  taking  full  possession  of  his  own 
property  ?  God  forbid  !  This,  sir,  through  God's  good- 
ness, is  not  only  what  I  say,  but  it  is  the  temper  of  my  soul, 
for  which  God  only  deserves  the  honour.  It  is  now  above 
fifty  years  since  my  soul  resigned  itself  to  God  in  Jesus 
Christ.  I  had  then  neither  son  nor  daughter ;  I  Avas  com- 
pletely satisfied  with  Him,  and,  blessed  be  his  name,  I  am 
so  now.  Have  I  then  reason  to  cry  out  as  if  ruined  ?  0  ! 
no ;  on  the  contrary,  I  have  the  utmost  reason  for  thanks- 
giving that  he  has  not,  in  righteous  judgment,  deprived  me 
of  himself,  in  whom  all  fulness  dwells.  My  wife  and  my- 
self are  now  hastening  to  childhood ;  if  spared  a  few  years, 
we  shall  need  one  to  lead  us ;  and  we  shall  look  to  you, 
under  God.  All  the  benefit  you  can  expect  from  so  doing, 
will  consist  in  the  satisfaction  of  your  own  mind,  that  you 
have  helped  two  old  people  through  the  last  steps  of  their 
pilgrimage.' 

"  Thus  did  this  pious  man  turn  every  event  of  life,  how- 
ever afflictive,  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  God,  and  he  seldom 
omitted  an  opportunity  of  inculcating  the  same  disposition 
on  all  his  acquaintance. 

"  When  the  late  Rev.  George  Whiteficld  was  last  in  this 
country,  Mr.  Tennent  paid  him  a  visit  as  he  was  passing 
through  New  Jersey.  Mr.  Whiteficld  and  a  number  of 
other  clergymen,  among  whom  was  Mr.  Tennent,  were  in- 
vited to  dinner  by  a  gentleman  in  the  neighbourhood  where 
the  late  Mr.  William  Livingston,  since  governor  of  New 
Jersey,  resided,  and  who,  with  several  other  lay  gentlemen, 
was  among  the  guests.  After  dinner,  in  the  course  of  an 
easy  and  pleasant  conversation,  ]Mr.  Whiteficld  adverted  to 
the  ditficulties  attending  the  gospel  ministry,  arising  from 
the  small  success  with  which  their  labours  were  crowned. 
He  greatly  lamented  that  all  their  zeal,  activity  and  fervour 
availed  but  little ;  said  that  he  was  weary  with  the  burdens 
and  fatigues  of  the  day  3  declared  his  great  consolation  was, 


140  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

that  in  a  short  time  his  work  would  be  done,  when  he  should 
depart  and  be  with  Christ ;  that  the  prospect  of  a  speedy 
deliverance  had  supported  his  spirits,  or  that  he  should  be- 
fore now  have  sunk  under  his  labour.  He  then  appealed 
to  the  ministers  around  him,  if  it  were  not  their  great  com- 
fort that  they  should  soon  go  to  rest.  They  generally  as- 
sented, excepting  Mr.  Teuneut,  who  sat  next  to  Mr.  White- 
field  in  silence ;  and  by  his  countenance  discovered  but  little 
pleasure  in  the  conversation.  On  which  Mr.  Whitefield, 
turning  to  him  and  tapping  him  on  the  knee,  said,  'Well  ! 
brother  Tennent,  you  are  the  oldest  man  amongst  l^s,  do 
you  not  rejoice  to  think  that  your  time  is  so  near  at  hand, 
when  you  will  be  called  home  and  freed  from  all  the  dif- 
ficulties attending  this  chequered  scene  V  Mr.  T.  bluntly 
answered,  '  I  have  no  wish  about  it.'  Mr.  W.  pressed  him 
again  ;  and  Mr.  T.  again  answered,  'No,  sir,  it  is  no  pleasure 
to  me  at  all,  and  if  you  knew  your  duty  it  would  be  none  to 
you.  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  death  ;  my  business  is  to 
live  as  long  as  I  can — as  well  as  I  can — and  to  serve  my  Lord 
and  Master  as  faithfully  as  I  can,  until  he  shall  think  pro- 
per to  call  me  home.'  Mr.  W.  still  urged  for  an  explicit 
answer  to  his  question,  in  case  the  time  of  death  were  left 
to  his  own  choice.  Mr.  Tennent  replied,  '  I  have  no  choice 
about  it;  I  am  Grod's  servant,  and  have  engaged  to  do  his 
business  as  long  as  he  pleases  to  continue  me  thei'ein.  But 
now,  brother,  let  me  ask  you  a  question.  What  do  you 
think  I  would  say  if  I  was  to  send  my  man  Tom  into  the 
field  to  plough,  and  if  at  noon  I  should  go  to  the  field  and 
find  him  lounging  under  a  tree,  and  complaining,  '  Master, 
the  sun  is  very  hot,  and  the  ploughing  hard  and  difiicult ;  I 
am  tired  and  weary  of  the  work  you  have  appointed  me,  and 
am  overdone  with  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day ;  do,  mas- 
ter, let  me  return  home  and  be  discharged  from  this  hard 
service  V  What  would  I  say  ?  Why,  that  he  was  an  idle, 
lazy  fellow ;  that  it  was  his  business  to  do  the  work  that  I 
had  appointed  him,  until  I,  the  proper  judge,  should  think 
fit  to  call  him  home.  Or  suppose  you  had  hired  a  man  to 
serve  you  faithfully  for  a  given  time  in  a  particular  service, 
and  he  should,  without  any  reason  on  your  part,  and  before 
he  had  performed  half  his  service,  become  weary  of  it,  and 
upon  every  occasion  be  expressing  a  wish  to  be  discharged 
or  placed  in  other  circumstances.     AVould  you  not  call  him 


THE    REV.    WM.     TENNENT,     JR.  141 

a  wicked  and  slothful  servant,  and  unworthy  of  the  privileges 
of  your  employ  ?'  The  mild,  pleasant,  and  Christian-like 
manner  in  which  this  reproof  was  administered,  rather  in- 
creased the  .social  harmony  and  edifying  conversation  of  the 
company,  who  became  satisfied  that  it  was  very  possible  to 
err,  even  in  desiring  with  undue  earnestness  '  to  depart  and 
be  with  Christ,'  wliich  in  itself  is  '  far  better'  than  to  remain 
in  this  imperfect  state;  and  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Chris- 
tian, in  this  respect,  to  say,  'All  the  days  of  my  appointed 
time  will  I  wait  till  my  change  come.' 

"  Among  Mr.  Tennent's  qualifications,  none  were  more 
conspicuous  than  his  activity  both  of  body  and  mind.  He 
hated  and  despised  sloth.  He  was  almost  always  in  action 
— never  wearied  in  well-doing,  nor  in  serving  his  friends. 
His  integrity  and  independence  of  spirit  were  observable  on 
the  slightest  acquaintance.  He  was  so  great  a  lover  of 
truth,  that  he  could  not  bear  the  least  aberration  from  it, 
even  in  a  joke.  He  was  remarkable  for  his  candour  and 
liberality  of  sentiment  with  regard  to  those  who  differed 
from  him  in  opinion.  His  hospitality  and  domestic  enjoy- 
ments were  even  proverbial.  His  public  s]>irit  was  always 
conspicuous,  and  his  attachment  to  what  he  thought  the 
best  interests  of  his  country  was  ardent  and  inflexible.  He 
took  an  early  and  decided  part  with  his  country  in  the  com- 
mencement of  the  late  revolutionary  war.  He  was  con- 
vinced that  she  •fras  oppressed,  and  that  her  petitions  to  the 
sovereign  of  the  mother  country  were  constitutional,  loyal, 
moderate,  and  reasonable  ;  that  the  treatment  they  received 
was  irrational,  tyrannical,  and  intolerable.  As  he  made  it 
a  rule,  however,  never  to  carry  politics  into  the  pulpit,  he 
had  no  way  to  manifest  his  zeal  for  the  public  measures 
but  by  his  private  jwayers,  and  by  his  decided  opinions 
delivered  in  private  conversations.  But  in  this  way  his 
sentiments  became  universally  known,  and  he  was  consid- 
ered as  a  warm  friend  to  the  American  cause.  Notwith- 
standing these  political  opinions,  he  was  not  blind  to  the 
errors  of  his  countrymen,  and  especially  to  their  moral  and 
religious  conduct.  The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to 
the  author  of  these  sketches,  dated  Feb.  li,  1775^  strongly 
marks  the  temper  of  his  mind  : 

' "  Mij  very  dear  Sir — Your  kind  letter  came  to  hand 
three  days  since.     Your  comforts  and  sorrows  are  mine  in 


142  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

no  small  degree;  I  share  with  you  in  both;  the  tie  is 
such  as  death  cannot  dissolve.  This  is  a  day  of  dark- 
ness in  my  view,  and  few  are  in  any  degree  properly 
affected  with  it.  I  have,  through  grace,  perhaps,  as  little 
to  fear  for  myself,  or  mine,  as  any  living.  I  humbly 
hope  we  are  housed  in  Jesus;  but  I  am  distressed  for 
the  nation  and  laud.  The  ruin  of  both  is  awfully  threat- 
ened ;  and,  though  now  deferred,  may  ere  long  be  accom- 
plished, unless  reformation  takes  place.  It  behoves  every 
one  to  cry,  '  Spare  thy  people,  0  Lord,  and  give  not  thine 
heritage  to  reproach.'  I  know  God  is  merciful ;  he  has, 
notwithstanding,  disinherited  a  people  as  dear  to  him  as 
ever  we  were,  whose  sins  were  not  more  aggravated  than 
ours.  The  Lord  can  deliver,  but  have  we  reason  to  think 
be  will,  having  told  us  that  he  will  '  wound  the  head  of  his 
enemies,  and  the  hairy  scalps  of  such  who  go  on  in  their 
trespasses  ?'  Is  there  any  appearance  of  reformation  ?  Yea, 
is  it  not  the  reverse  ?  Are  not  our  meetings  for  the  preser- 
vation of  our  liberty  often  abused  by  excessive  drinking  ? 
&c.  &c.  Have  not  politics  taken  place  of  religion  in  all 
our  conversations  ?  Is  it  not  become  unconstitutional  (to 
use  vulgar  language)  to  mention  God's  name  in  company, 
unless  by  way  of  dishonouring  him  ?  Are  not  things  sacred 
neglected  by  some,  and  burlesqued  by  others  ?  Is  not  the 
newspaper  substituted  for  the  Bible  on  Lord's  days,  yea,  at 
church  ?  What  will  the  end  of  these  things  be  ?  Blessed 
be  God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  He  is  for  a  sanctuary.' 

"  Mr.  Tennent  was  on  a  visit  within  less  than  twenty 
miles  of  New  York,  when  a  British  frigate  attempted  to 
pass  the  batteries,  and  to  proceed  up  the  North  Biver,  while 
General  Washington  lay  with  the  American  army  in  that 
city.  A  very  heavy  cannonading  took  place,  which  was 
mistaken  by  the  surrounding  country  for  a  general  attack 
on  our  army.  Mr.  Tennent  was  deeply  affected,  and  after  a 
violent  struggle  within  himself,  he  turned  to  a  friend  or  two 
present,  and  said,  '  Come,  while  our  fellow  citizens  are  fight- 
ing let  us  retire  to  prayer.'  They,  accordingly,  went  up 
into  his  room,  where  lie  most  devoutly  poured  out  his  soul 
for  about  half  an  hour  in  the  most  fervent  prayers,  wrestling 
with  God  in  behalf  of  his  suffering  country. 

"In  the  winter  of  1776-7,  the  British  overran  a  great 


THE    REV.     WM.     TENNENT,    JR.  143 

part  of  the  state  of  New  Jersey,  and  particularly  the  county 
of  Monmouth,  whore  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  were  in 
the  British  interests.  Such  was  their  apparent  power,  and 
the  distressed  situation  of  the  American  army,  retreating 
be%i-e  them,  that  it  was  generally  supposed  by  the  people 
in  the  country,  that  the  dispute  was  almost  at  an  end,  and 
that  all  hopes  of  successful  opposition  were  nearly  extin- 
guished. A  British  party  arose  in  the  county,  who  seized 
their  fellow  citizens,  and  dragged  them  to  a  British  provost, 
where  they  were  treated  in  the  most  cruel  manner,  as  rebels 
and  traitors.  Even  citizens  from  other  parts  of  the  state, 
who  had  taken  refuge  in  the  county,  depending  on  the 
known  hosijitality  of  the  inhabitants,  were  not  respected. 
In  this  situation  Mr.  Tennent  very  justly  thought  himself 
in  great  danger ;  but  having  no  place  to  flee  to  for  safety, 
he  remained  at  home,  committing  himself  td  the  protection 
of  Almighty  Grod.  In  the  month  of  Dec.  1776,  a  number 
of  the  inhabitants  came  to  his  house,  and  insisted  that  he 
should  go  to  Princeton  without  delay,  and  take  the  benefit 
of  Cxcneral  Howe's  proclamation,  offering  a  pardon  to  those 
who  should  seek  it  within  a  limited  time.  He  refused,  till 
he  found  himself  in  danger  of  being  taken  off  and  com- 
mitted to  a  British  provost,  which  he  well  knew  was  but 
another  word  for  a  lingering  death.  He  also  found  that,  in 
his  present  state,  his  usefulness  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel 
was  at  an  end,  unless  he  complied  with  the  wishes  of  the 
people,  most  of  the  whigs  of  influence  having  fled.  Con- 
cluding that  present  duty  enforced  the  request  which  was 
thus  urged  upon  him,  he  promised  to  go  to  Princeton.  On 
his  way  he  lodged  at  the  house  of  a  young  clergyman,  and 
ou  rising  in  the  morning  he  seemed  greatly  oppressed  in 
spirit.  On  being  asked  what  troubled  him,  he  answered 
with  a  heavy  sigh,  '  I  am  going  to  do  a  thing  for  conscience 
sake,  directly  against  my  conscience.'  Soon  after  his  return 
home,  to  the  surprise  of  every  body,  the  British  quarters  at 
Trenton  were  beaten  up,  and  a  British  x-egiment  taken  at 
Princeton ;  the  American  army  again  advanced,  and  took  a 
strong  position  at  Morristown,  by  which  the  British  in  their 
turn  were  obhged  to  retreat  and  contract  their  lines  to 
Brunswick  and  Amboy.  The  Americans  again  got  posses- 
sion of  the  county  of  3Ionmouth,  where  the  whigs  returned 
in  force.     Mr.  Tennent's  mind  was  greatly  oppressed  with 


144  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

his  untoward  situation,  and  lie  severely  blamed  his  untimely 
submission. 

"About  the  latter  end  of  February,  or  beginning  of  March, 
1777,  Mr.  Tenuent  was  suddenly  seized  with  a  fever,  at- 
tended by  violent  symptoms.  He  sent  for  his  family  ^y- 
sieian,  who  was  in  the  act  of  setting  off  for  the  legislature 
of  the  state,  of  which  he  was  a  member.  Pie  called  on  his 
patient  on  his  way,  but  could  spend  but  a  few  minutes  with 
him.  He,  however,  examined  carefully  into  Mr.  Tenuent's 
complaints,  and  the  symptoms  attending  the  disorder.  With 
great  candour  the  physician  informed  his  patient  that  the 
attack  appeared  unusually  violent ;  that  the  case  required 
the  best  medical  aid,  and  that  it  was  out  of  his  power  to 
attend  him.  He  feared  that,  at  his  advanced  age,  there  was 
not  strength  of  nature  sufficient  to  overcome  so  severe  a 
shock,  and  that  his  symptoms  scarcely  admitted  of  a  fiivour- 
able  prognostic.  The  good  old  man  received  this  news  with 
his  usual  submission  to  the  divine  will;  for,  as  he  had 
always  considered  himself  as  bound  for  eternity,  he  had 
endeavoured  so  to  live,  that  when  the  summons  should  come, 
be  would  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  die.  He  calmly  replied, 
*  I  am  very  sensible  of  the  violence  of  my  disorder ;  that  it 
has  racked  my  constitution  to  an  uncommon  degree,  and 
beyond  what  I  have  ever  before  experienced,  and  that  it  is 
accompanied  with  symptoms  of  approaching  dissolution  ;  but 
blessed  be  God,  I  have  no  wish  to  live  if  it  should  be  his 
will  and  pleasure  to  call  me  hence.'  After  a  moment's 
pause  he  seemed  to  recollect  himself,  and  varied  the  expres- 
sion thus :  *■  lilcssed  be  God,  I  have  no  wish  to  live,  if  it 
should  be  his  will  and  pleasure  to  call  me  hence,  unless  it 
should  be  to  see  a  happy  issue  to  the  severe  and  arduous 
controversy  my  country  is  engaged  in ;  but  even  in  this,  the 
will  of  the  Lord  be  done.' 

"During  his  whole  sickness,  he  continued  perfectly  re- 
signed to  the  divine  will,  until  death  was  swallowed  up  in 
victory  on  the  8th  day  of  March,  1777.  His  body  was  buried 
in  his  own  church  at  Freehold,  a  numerous  concourse  of 
people,  composed  not  only  of  the  members  of  his  own  con- 
gregation, but  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  adjacent  coun- 
try attending  his  funeral. 

"Mr.  Teunent  was  rather  more  than  six  feet  high,  of  a 
spare,  thin  visage,  and  of  an  erect  carriage.     He  had  bright. 


THE    REV.     WM.    TENNENT,    JR.  145 

piercing  eyes,  a  long  sharp  nose,  and  a  long  face.  His 
general  countenance  was  grave  and  solemn,  but  at  all  times 
cheerful  and  pleasant  with  his  friends.  It  may  be  said  of 
him  with  peculiar  propriety,  that  he  appeared  in  an  extra- 
ordinary manner,  to  live  above  the  world  and  all  its  allure- 
ments. He  seemed  habitually  to  have  such  clear  views  of 
spiritual  and  heavenly  things,  as  afforded  him  much  of  the 
foretaste  and  enjoyment  of  them.  His  fiith  was  really  and 
experimentally  *  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  and  the 
evidence  of  things  unseen.'  'Literally,  his  daily  walk  was 
with  God,  and  he  lived  '  as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible.' 
The  divine  presence  with  him  was  frequently  manifested  in 
his  public  ministrations,  and  in  his  private  conduct.  His 
ardent  soul  was  seldom  satisfied,  unless  he  was  exerting 
himself  in  some  way  or  other,  in  public  or  private,  in  ren- 
dering kind  offices  and  effectual  services  of  friendship,  both 
in  spiritual  and  temporal  things,  to  his  fellow-men.  Take 
him  in  his  whole  demeanour  and  conduct,  there  are  few  of 
whom  it  might  more  emphatically  be  said,  that  he  lived  the 
life  and  died  the  death  of  the  righteous. 

"  He  was  well,  read  in  divinity,  and  was  of  sound  ortho- 
dox principles.  He  professed  himself  a  moderate  Calvinist, 
The  doctrines  of  man's  depravity,  the  atonement  of  the 
Sa\aour,  the  absolute  necessity  of  the  all-powerful  influence 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  renew  the  heart  and  subdue  the  will, 
all  in  perfect  consistence  with  the  free  agency  of  the  sinner, 
were  among  the  leading  articles  of'  his  faith.  These  doc- 
trines, indeed,  were  generally  interwoven  in  his  public  dis- 
courses, whatever  might  be  the  particular  subject  discussed. 
His  success  was  often  answerable  to  his  exertions.  His 
people  loved  him  as  a  father,  revered  him  as  the  pastor  and 
bishop  of  their  souls,  obeyed  him  as  their  instructor,  and 
delighted  in  his  company  and  private  conversation  as  a 
friend  and  brother.  He  carefully  avoided  making  a  differ- 
ence between  his  doctrines  publicly  taught  and  his  private 
practice.  Attending  a  Synod  a  few  years  before  his  death, 
a  strange  clergyman,  whom  he  never  had  before  seen,  was 
introduced  to  the  Synod,  and  asked  to  preach  in  the  even- 
ing. Mr.  Tennent  attended,  and  was  much  displeased  with 
the  sermon.  As  the  congregation  were  going  out  of  the 
church,  Mr.  Tennent,  in  the  crowd,  coming  up  to  the 
preacher,  touched  him  on  the  shoulder,  and  said,  '  My  bro- 
13 


146  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

ther,  when  I  preacli  I  take  care  to  save  myself,  wliatevcr  I 
do  with  my  congregation.'  The  clergyman  looked  behind 
him  with  surprise,  and  seeing  a  very  grave  man,  said, '  What 
do  you  mean,  sir  ?'  Mr.  Tcnnent  answered,  '  You  have 
been  sending  your  whole  congregation.  Synod  and  all,  to 
perdition,  and  you  have  not  even  saved  yourself.  When- 
ever I  preach,  I  make  it  a  rule  to  save  myself;'  and  then 
abruptly  left  him,  without  his  knowing  who  spoke  to  him. 

At  Mr.  Tennent's  death,  the  poor  mourned  for  him  as 
their  patron,  their  comforter  and  support ;  and  the  rich 
lamented  over  him  as  their  departed  pastor  and  friend.  The 
public  at  large  lost  in  him  a  firm  asserter  of  the  civil  and 
religious  interests  of  his  country.  He  was  truly  a  patriot, 
not  in  words  and  pretences,  not  in  condemning  all  who  dif- 
fered from  him  to  proscription  and  death,  but  in  acting  in 
Buch  a  manner  as  would  have  rendered  his  country  most 
happy,  if  all  had  followed  his  example.  He  insisted  on  his 
own  rights  and  freedom  of  sentiment,  but  he  was  willing  to 
let  others  enjoy  the  same  privilege;  and  he  thought  it  of  as 
much  importance  to  live  and  act  well,  as  to  think  and  speak 
justly. 

"  To  conclude  these  imperfect  sketches, — may  all  who 
read  the  memoirs  of  this  amiable  and  useful  man,  fervently 
and  constantly  beseech  that  God,  with  whom  is  the  residue 
of  the  Spirit,  that  their  life  may  be  that  of  the  righteous,  so 
that  their  latter  end  may  be  like  his ;  and  that  the  great 
Head  of  the  Church,  while  he  removes  faithful  and  distin- 
guished labourers  from  the  gospel  vineyard,  may  raise  up 
others,  who  shall  possess  even  a  double  portion  of  their 
spirit,  and  who  shall  be  even  more  successful  in  winning 
souls  unto  Jesus  Christ,  the  great  Bishop  of  souls. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


REMARKS   ON   THE    PRECEDING   NARRATIVE. 


Mr.  Tennent's  trance  not  supernatural — The  dreams  of  the  witnesses 
cannot  he  accounted  for  on  natural  principles — God  still  occasionally 
gives  admonitory  dreams. 

It  must  be  acknowledged  that  some  of  the  facts  re- 
corded in  the  preceding  narrative  are  of  a  marvellous 
nature;  but  we  are  inclined  to  believe  that  they  all 
may  be  accounted  for  on  natural  principles,  except 
one.  The  appearance  of  death  when  life  is  not  extin- 
guished, but  only  suspended,  has  been  often  observed 
on  the  termination  of  nervous  fevers,  and  in  epileptic 
and  apoplectic  fits.  The  temporary  loss  of  memory 
on  recovery  has  also  been  often  obseiived.  Persons 
have  been  known  to  lie  in  one  of  these  trances  for 
weeks  together;  and  there  is  too  much  reason  to  fear 
that  some  persons  have  been  buried  alive,  by  being 
prematurely  carried  to  the  grave.  This  undoubtedly 
would  have  been  the  unhappy  case  of  Mr,  Tennent, 
had  not  his  young  friend  interposed.  And  as  to  the 
happy  state  of  his  mind  during  this  period,  and  his 
imagining  that  he  was  in  heaven,  it  is  all  very  natural, 
and  does  not  require  that  we  should  suppose  the  soul 
to  have  been  separated  from  the  body.  We  would  not 
deny  that  a  man,  through  life  so  highly  favoured  in 
receiving  extraordinary  manifestations  of  God's  per- 
fections, and  especially  of  his  love,  might,  even  when 
in  this  state  of  apparent  death,  have  been  the  subject 
of  a  gracious  influence,  which  filled  his  imagination 
with  the  rapturous  views  which  he  enjoyed.     We  are 

(147) 


148    ■  •       THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

disposed,  however,  to  admire  Mr.  Tennent's  prudence, 
in  not  being  forward  to  speak  of  his  experience  during 
this  period;  and  we  do  not  feel  disposed  to  regret  that 
he  never  committed  to  writing  an  account  of  his 
visions ;  or  if  he  did,  that  his  executor  never  could  lay 
his  hands  on  the  manuscript.  When  Paul  was  caught 
up  to  paradise,  and  heard  and  saw  the  glory  of  the 
third  heaven,  he  uttered  not  a  word  respecting  the 
nature  of  his  vision ;  he  merely  said  that  he  "  heard 
unspeakable  things,  which  it  is  not  lawful  for  a  man  to 
utter."  The  writer  Avould  further  remark,  that  in  cer- 
tain states  of  the.  nervous  system,  when  the  common 
functions  of  life  seem  to  be  suspended,  it  is  no  un- 
common thing  for  the  imagination  to  be  strongly 
affected. 

The  only  thing  in  the  foregoing  history  of  William 
Tennent  which  cannot  be  accounted  for,  upon  the  ordi- 
nary principles  of  human  nature,  is,  the  dreams  of  the 
man  and  his  wife  which  brought  them  from  Maryland 
to  Trenton,  and  whose  testimony  was  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  save  this  good  man  from  an  ignominious  pun- 
ishment. In  this  case,  if  the  facts  are  true — concern- 
ing which  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt — there 
must  have  been  a  supernatural  interposition.  These 
simple  people  could  have  had  no  knowledge  of  what 
was  transacting  in  New  Jersey ;  and  when  they  came 
to  Trenton,  they  knew  not  for  what  purpose  their  pre- 
sence was  needed.  In  all  ages  of  the  world,  suggestions 
and  impressions  have  been  made  in  dreams,  which  have 
been  important  to  the  safety  or  interest  of  certain  per- 
sons, for  whose  sake  the  communication  was  made. 
And  we  learn  from  the  Bible,  that  dreams  of  this  super- 
natural kind  have  not  been  confined  to  the  pious,  but 
have  been  granted  to  heathen  kings,  and  other  persons 
who  knew  not  the  true  God,  as  in  the  case  of  the  butler 
and  baker,  of  Pharaoh  and  Nebuchadnezzar.  Such 
dreams  ai-e  still  on  certain  occasions  granted,  probably 
by  the  ministry  of  angels,  for  the  admonition  or  direc- 
tion of  the  people  of  God,  or  for  reasons  unknown  to 


THE    REV.    WM.    TENNENT,    JR.  149 

US.     Although  it  is  true,  "  in  the  multitude  of  dreams 
there  are  divers  vanities,"  and  although  false  prophets 
pretended  to  receive  communications   in  dreams,  and 
at  this  time  many  persons  are  superstitiously  aifected 
by  dreams,  yet  the  truth  of  the  fact  ought  not  to  be 
denied,  that,  even  in  our  day,  dreams  are  sometimes 
admonitory,  and  seem  to  preserve  certain  persons  from 
evils,  which  they  could  not  otherwise  escape.     God  has 
no  where  informed  us  that  this  mode  of  communication 
with  men  should  entirely  cease;  and  if  there  are,  how- 
ever rarely,  such  communications  to  certain  persons  in 
sleep,  it  furnishes   some  proof  of  the  existence  of  a 
world  of  spirits,  invisible  to  us  but  near ;  and  that  we 
are  surrounded,  and  often  guarded  by  kind  angels, 
who  minister  unto  us,  and  preserve  us  from  many  evils 
of  which  w^  are  not   aware.     Such  dreams   are   not 
properly  called  miraculous,  nor   can  the    persons   to 
whom  they   are  vouchsafed   be   said    to   be   inspired. 
They  are  merely  extraordinary  intimations  to  the  mind, 
probably,  as  was  said,  by  the  agency  of  guardian  an- 
gels.    The    only  unaccountable  thing    in  this  whole 
business  is,  that  Mr.  Tennent  and  his  fellow-travellers 
had  not  sent  off  immediately  to  this  distant  place  for 
witnesses,  for  there  were  many  there  who  had  heard 
him  and  Mr.  Rowland  preach.    Conscious  of  innocence, 
they  seem  to  have  apprehended  no  danger ;  and  when 
one  of  their  number  was  found  guilty,  and  actually 
punished  for  perjury,  there  might  not  have  been  time 
to  bring  persons  from  such  a  distance.     But  in  regard 
to  Mr.  Tennent,  he  was  not  only  conscious  of  inno- 
cence, but  had  such  unshaken  confidence  in  God,  that 
he    feared    nothing ;    being  fully  persuaded    that   he 
would  in  some  way  interpose  by  his  providence  for  his 
deliverance,  or  would  overrule  his  unjust  condemnation 
and  punishment  for  his  own  glory.     This  last  seems  to 
have  been  especially  on  his  mind ;  for  we  are  informed 
that  he  had  prepared  a  sermon  for  the  occasion,  to  be 
preached  while  standing  in  the  pillory. 
13* 


CHAPTER  XII. 


ANECDOTES    OF   THE   REV.  WM.   TENNENT,    JR. 


Mr.  Tennent  loses  .some  of  his  toes — Attempted  explanation — Anecdotes 
supplied  by  Dr.  Miller — Anecdotes  from  the  Assembly's  Magazine,  with 
an  account  of  his  interview  with  Murray  the  Universalist. 

We  have  never  known  a  man  in  modern  times,  con- 
cerning whom  so  many  extraordinary  things  are  related. 
The  most  important  of  these  are  contained  in  Dr. 
Boudinot's  memoir  of  his  life ;  but  many  others  were 
omitted,  either  because  he  judged  them  of  not  suffi- 
cient importance  to  be  recorded  in  such  a  work,  or 
because,  writing  for  a  periodical,  he  was  limited  as  to 
the  space  which  the  memoir  was  allowed  to  occupy. 
Many  of  these  anecdotes,  however,  he  took  a  pleasure 
in  relating  in  conversation  with  his  friends;  and  those 
which  have  been  kindly  furnished  by  my  friend  and 
colleague,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Miller,  were  received  from 
him.  I  have  been  in  some  doubt  about  introducing 
the  contents  of  this  chapter  into  the  volume;  but  as 
the  anecdotes  here  given  are  all  believed  to  be  authen- 
tic, it  was  thought  that  they  would  tend  to  exhibit  in 
a  more  distinct  light  the  true  character  of  this  extra- 
ordinary man.  Many  others  have  been  cm-rent  in  his 
vicinity,  but  as  they  have  been  handed  down  by  tradi- 
tion, they  have  not  been  considered  as  sufficiently  au- 
thenticated to  be  inserted  in  this  memoir ;  and  some  of 
them  are  of  too  ludicrous  a  nature  to  have  a  place  in  a 
serious  narrative. 

There  is  one  remarkable  thing  which  happened  to 
Mr.  Tennent,  not  recorded  in  the  memoir  written  by 
(150) 


THE    REV.    AV  M  .    T  E  N  N  E  N  T ,    JR.  151 

Dr.  Boudinot,  wliich  has  to  most  appeared  more  inex- 
plicable than  any  other  event  of  his  life.  One  night, 
as  the  story  goes,  when  Mr.  Tennent  was  asleep  in  his 
own  bed,  he  was  Avakcd  up  by  a  sharp  pain  in  the  re- 
gion of  the  toes  of  one  of  his  feet ;  and  upon  getting  a 
light  and  examining  the  foot,  it  was  discovered  that 
several  of  his  toes  had  been  cut  entirely  off,  as  if  by 
some  sharp  instrument.  But  though  the  wounded  part 
was  bleeding,  nothing  was  seen  of  the  exscinded  mem- 
bers, nor  any  means  by  which  such  a  dismemberment 
could  have  been  effected. 

In  the  room  was  found  no  animal,  rat,  cat,  or  dog, 
although  diligent  search  was  made  ;  neither  could  there 
ba  discovered  any  sharp  instrument  by  which  such  a 
wound  could  have  been  inflicted.  Mr.  Tennent  himself 
confidently  believed  that  the  injury  was  done  by  the 
prince  of  darkness,  of  whose  power  and  malice  he  was 
deeply  convinced.  Others  supposed  that  it  must  have 
been  effected  by  some  domestic  animal,  which  might 
have  made  its  escape  before  a  light  was  obtained,  as 
both  rats  and  cats  have  been  known  violently  to  attack 
and  wound  persons  while  asleep.  But  neither  of  these 
explanations  gives  satisfaction.  For  as  to  Satan  it  can- 
not be  doubted  that  his  malice  is  great,  and  that  it  is 
especially  directed  against  holy  men,  and  particularly 
faithful  ministers ;  but  we  have  no  evidence  that  he  is 
now  permittjgd  to  injure  or  wound  the  bodies  of  the 
saints.  Our  fathers  were  more  credulous  on  this  point 
than  we  are,  and  we  may  dismiss  all  further  notice  of 
this  account,  as  an  opinion  properly  belonging  to  a 
former  age.  And  as  to  the  idea  that  it  might  have 
been  the  bite  of  a  hungry  and  voracious  rat,  or  mad 
cat,  the  thing  is  very  improbable.  Neither  of  these 
animals  could  have,  with  its  teeth,  severed  the  toes 
from  the  foot  so  suddenly  ;  and  in  that  case  the  wound 
would  have  had  marks  of  the  gnawing  of  such  an  ani- 
mal, whereas  it  was  said  to  have  had  the  appearance 
of  being  made  by  a  shai'p  instrument.  Perhaps  the  dif- 
ficulty of  accounting  for  the  accident  prevented  Dr. 


152  THE    LOO    COLLEGE. 

Boudinot  from  inserting  the  story  in  Mr.  Tennent's 
memoir ;  for  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  he  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  fact,  and  all  its  circumstances. 

The  author  of  this  compilation  has  the  more  readily 
consented  to  record  the  event,  because  he  has  a  hypo- 
thesis by  which  he  thinks  he  can  account  for  such  an 
accident. 

Upon  a  survey  of  the  circumstances  of  the  affair,  it 
seems  highly  probable,  that  Mr.  Tennent  was  a  som- 
nambulist, and  received  this  injury  by  treading,  in  his 
rambles,  on  some  sharp  instrument ;  soon  after  Avliich 
he  returned  to  his  bed,  but  did  not  feel  the  pain  of  the 
wound  until  he  awoke.  It  is  well  known,  that  persons 
in  this  kind  of  sleep,  are  very  little  susceptible  of  the 
feeling  of  pain  from  any  accident  of  this  sort ;  and 
they  seldom  ever  retain  any  recollection  of  the  exer- 
cises of  their  minds  at  the  time,  or  of  the  scenes 
through  which  they  have  passed.  Many  instances 
might  be  given  of  persons  receiving  bodily  hurts  while 
in  this  state,  without  being  awakened  thereby ;  and 
apparently,  without  any  feeling  of  pain  from  wounds 
which  would  cause  very  acute  suffering  to  one  awake. 
And  it  may  not  be  improper  to  refer  for  proof  of  this, 
to  undoubted  facts,  witnessed  by  many,  in  regard  to 
persons  in  a  mesmeric  sleep,  who  undergo  surgical 
operations,  which  give  intense  pain  in  a  common  state, 
without  any  appearance  of  sensibility.      , 

The  writer  recollects  to  have  heard  of  an  instance 
precisely  in  point,  which  occurred  in  Philadelphia,  in 
relation  to  a  son  of  the  late  Dr.  Sproat,  who,  being  a 
somnambulist,  got  out  of  his  room  at  a  window  on  a 
shed,  and  jumped  on  the  ground,  but  lighting  on  some- 
thing sharp,  cut  his  foot ;  and  being  soon  missed,  was 
pursued  by  his  bloody  tracks  on  the  snow,  with  which 
the  ground  was  at  the  time  covered.  But  he  was  not 
awakened  from  his  sleep  by  the  wound  which  he  re- 
ceived.' Other  cases  of  serious  injiuy,  sustained  in  the 
night  by  persons  who  could  give  no  account  how  they 
occurred,  have  fallen  under  the  notice  of  the  writer, 


THE    REV,    WM.    TENNENT,    JR.  153 

and  which  can  only  be  accounted  for  by  this  hypo- 
thesis. If  it  be  alleged,  that  Mr.  Wm.  Tennerit  was 
not  known  to  be  a  somnambulist,  it  may  be  answered, 
that  he  certainly  had  a  nervous  system  strung  in  a 
very  peculiar  manner,  and  many  are  subject  to  this 
kind  of  sleep,  who  never  know  anything  about  it.  And 
we  would  adduce  the  fact  under"  consideration,  as  a 
strong  presumptive  evidence  of  the  thing  supposed.- 

The  following  anecdotes  of  the  Rev.  William  Ten- 
nent  were  kindly  communicated  to  the  author  by  the 
Rev.  Doctor  Miller,  of  Princeton. 

"  This  remarkable  man  was  greatly  distinguished  for  de- 
cision of  character.  Many  good  men  of  his  day  bad  more 
intellectual  vigour  than  he  possessed,  but  few  of  his  contem- 
poraries possessed  as  much  as  he  did  of  that  moral  courage, 
that  fixedness  of  purpose,  and  that  firmness  of  Christian 
heroism,  which  coukl  not  be  turned  to  the  right  or  the 
left.  This  trait  in  his  character  was  once  very  strongly 
exemplified  at  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 
College  of  New  Jersey.  It  is  well  known  that  Mr.  Tcnnent 
was  one  of  the  most  active  and  zealous  of  the  founders  of 
that  College  ;  and  that  the  great  object  of  those  worthy 
men,  in  all  the  labour  and  expense  which  they  incurred  in 
its  establishment,  was  to  train  up  a  pious  and  learned  minis- 
try for  the  Presbyterian  Church.  For  the  attainment  of 
this  object,  and  to  guard  the  College  against  every  species 
of  perversion  or  abuse,  he  was  ever  on  the  watch,  and  es- 
pecially to  promote  the  religious  interests  of  the  Institu- 
tion. 

'*  Soon  after  William  Franklin  (son  of  Benjamin)  was 
appointed  Governor  of  the  Province  of  New  Jersey,  he  took 
his  seat  accordiug  to  the  provision  of  the  charter,  as  ex 
officio  President  of  the  Board.  On  one  of  the  early  occa- 
sions of  his  presiding  in  quality  of  governor,  after  coming 
to  that  office,  he  formed  a  plan  of  wheedling  the  Board  into 
an  agreement  to  have  their  charter  so  modified  as  to  place 
the  Institution  more  entirely  in  the  power  of  the  Provincial 
government,  and  to  receive  in  exchange  for  this  concession 
some  inconsiderable  pecuniary  advantage.  The  Governor 
made  this  proposal  in  a  plausible  speech,  and  was  receiving 
the  thanks  of  several  short-sighted  and  sanguine  members  of 


154  TUE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

tlie  Board  of  Trustees — when  Mr.  Tennent,  who  had  been 
prevented  by  some  dispensation  of  Providence  from  coming 
earlier,  appeared  in  the  Board  and  took  his  seat.  After  lis- 
tening for  a  few  minutes,  and  hearing  from  one  and  another 
of  his  brother  trustees,  the  nature  of  the  governor's  plan 
and  offer;  after  several  of  them  had,  in  his  presence  recog- 
nized the  governor's  proposal  as  highly  favourable,  and  such 
as  ought  to  be  accepted,  and  praised  '  his  Excellency's  gene- 
rous proposal'  as  what  all  must  think  well  of — Mr.  Tennent, 
looking  round  the  Board  with  the  sharp  and  piercing  eye 
for  which  he  was'  remarkable  when  strongly  excited,  rose 
and  said  :  *  Brethren !  are  you  mad  ?  I  say,  brethren,  are 
you  mad  ?  Rather  than  accept  the  offer  of  the  president,  I 
would  set  fire  to  the  College  edifice  at  its  four  corners,  and 
run  away  in  the  light  of  the  flames.'  Such  was  the  effect 
of  this  rebuff  from  a  trustee  of  such  known  honesty,  influence 
and  decision,  that  little  more  was  said.  The  proposal  was 
laid  on  the  table  and  never  more  called  up. 

"  Mr.  Tennent  was  full  of  expedients  for  winning  souls  to 
Christ.  He  was  remarkably  fond  of  horses ;  had  a  good  deal 
of  skill  in  the  choice  and  management  of  them,  and  was 
seldom  known  to  ride  or  to  keep  an  inferior  one.  There 
was  a  young  man  in  his  congregation,  the  son  of  one  of  his 
church  members,  also  distinguished  for  his  attachment  to 
horses,  and  for  his  skill  in  horsemanship.  Mr.  Tennent  was 
very  desirous  of  gaining  access  to  this  young  man,  and  of 
securing  his  confldence.  But,  after  every  eflort  to  accomplish 
this  object  was  disappointed ;  the  young  man,  trembling  at 
the  thought  of  being  addressed  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
avoided  his  pastor  with  the  utmost  vigilance,  escaped  from 
his  father's  house  whenever  Mr.  Tennent  called,  and  in 
every  possible  way  evaded  an  interview  with  him.  Mr. 
Tennent  observed  this,  and  resorted  to  every  contrivance  in 
his  power  to  overcome  the  young  man's  aversion  to  his  com- 
pany. But  in  vain.  Things  went  on  in  this  way  for  a  con- 
siderable time.  In  the  mean  while  Mr.  Tennent's  desire  for 
an  interview  became  more  intense,  from  hearing  that  the 
young  man  had  an  active  mind  and  an  amiable  temper,  and 
was  considered  as,  in  most  respects,  very  promising  by  those 
who  knew  him  best.  One  day,  when  Mr.  Tennent  was  riding 
out  in  his  course  of  family  visitation,  on  a  remarkably  fleet 
horse,  he  saw  this  young  man  about  a  hundred  yards  before 


THE    REV.     WM.     TENNENT,    JR.  155 

bim,  coming  out  from  a  neighbour's  gate,  and  going  toward 
bis  father's  house.  Mr  Tennent  immediately  quickened  the 
pace  of  his  horse  for  the  purpose  of  overtaking  him.  The 
young  man,  looking  back  and  seeing  Mr.  Tcnneut  coming, 
did  the  same.  Each  spurred  on  his  horse,  until  the  contest 
became  a  race  at  full  speed.  After  running  in  this  manner 
between  one  and  two  miles,  Mr.  Tennent,  having  much  the 
fleeter  horse,  overtook  the  young  man,  and  on  coming  up  to 
him  said,  in  a  very  affable,  pleasant  manner,  *  Well,  Johnny, 
I  thought  I  should  overtake  you.  I  see  you  ride  a  good 
animal,  but  I  had  a  notion  that  mine  could  beat  him.'  He 
thcu  entered  into  familiar  conversation  with  the  young  man, 
adapting  all  his  remarks  to  what  he  supposed  to  be  his 
favourire  pursuits  and  topics.  After  riding  a  mile  or  two 
together,  Mr.  Tennent  said  to  him,  when  they  were  about  to 
separate,  '  Johnny,  come  and  see  me.  I  shall  be  very  glad 
to  see  you ;  I  know  you  love  a  good  horse.  I  think  I  have 
some  horses  and  colts  that  will  please  you.  It  will  give  me 
real  pleasure  to  show,  them  to  you.'  With  this  invitation, 
and  these  remarks,  they  parted.  In  a  few  days  the  young 
man,  greatly  pleased  with  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  Tennent 
had  treated  him,  accepted  his  invitation,  and  called  at  his 
house.  Mr.  Tennent  fulfilled  his  promise,  took  him  through 
his  stables  and  round  his  farm,  and  entertained  him  greatly 
to  his  gratification,  without  saying  one  word  to  him  of  re- 
ligion. The  young  man  no  longer  shunned  his  company, 
but  put  himself  in  his  way,  not  only  without  fear  but  with 
pleasui-e,  whenever  he  had  an  opportunity.  Mr.  Tenucut 
very  soon  took  occasion,  after  gaining  his  confidence,  to 
address  him  on  the  most  important  of  all  subjects;  and  it 
was  not  long  before  he  listened  with  serious  attention,  became 
hopefully  the  subject  of  renewing  grace,  and  was  soon  united 
with  the  church  of  Christ.  -' 

'*  This  excellent  man  was  remarkably  skilful,  discriminat- 
ing, and  faithful  in  dealing  with  those  who  came  to  him, 
professing  to  be  in  a  state  of  anxiety  or  inquiry  respecting 
their  salvation.  He  was  once  visited  by  a  female  advanced 
in  life,  one  of  his  stated  hearers,  who  had  not  borne  a  very 
good  character,  but  who  now  professed  to  be  deeply  anxious 
concerning  her  eternal  welfare.  She  wept,  acknowledged 
herself  a  great  sinner,  and  abounded  in  language  of  severe 
Belf-CNmiuation,  and  professions  of  deep  penitence.      I\lr. 


156  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

Tennent  thought  he  saw  in  her  whole  air  and  manner  (some- 
thing like  over-acting,  which,  taken  in  connection  with  her 
former  life;  led  him  to  suspect  that  her  professions  were  not 
VGvy  sincere.  He  therefore  determined  at  once  to  put 
them  to  the  test,  and  said  :  •  JMrs. ,  you  speak  of  your- 
self as  a  great  sinner ;  that  is  just  what  we  have  always 
thought  of  you.  I  have  no  doubt  it  is  very  much  as  you 
say.'  The  woman,  who  was  indeed  a  hypocrite,  fully  ex- 
pecting to  be  hailed  with  pleasure  and  confidence  as  a  genu- 
ine converb  by  her  minister,  was  thrown  off  her  guard 
by  this  rebuil'',  and  rejDlied  with  strong  resentment :  *  It's 
no  such  thing.  I'm  not  chargeable  with  these  sins,  I'm 
as  good  as  you  any  day,'  and  immediately  left  the  house ; 
and  with  this  interview  dismissed  her  serious  impressions. 

"  At  another  time  Mr.  Tennent,  in  riding  out,  stopped 
opposite  the  door  of  a  small  tavern  in  his  neighbourhood  to 
make  some  inquiry.  While  waiting  a  moment  to  obtain 
the  desired  information,  a  man,  evidently  intoxicated  with 
strong  drink,  came  out  of  the  house  and  accosted  him  by 
name.  Finding  that  Mr.  Tennent  did  not  return  his  salu- 
tation with  the  readiness  and  familiarity  of  an  acquaintance, 
he  said  :  '  Mr.  Tennent,  I  believe  you  do  not  know  me ; 
why,  you  converted  me  a  few  months  ago.'  '  Ah  !  my 
friend,'  said  Mr.  Tennent,  '  it's  like  some  of  my  bungling 
work.  If  the  Spirit  of  God  had  converted  you,  we  should 
not  have  seen  you  in  this  situation.'  " 

In  the  same  volume  of  the  Assembly's  Missionary 
Magazine  which  contains  the  biography  of  the  Rev. 
William  Tennent,  Jr.,  we  have  from  another  hand  the 
three  following  anecdotes. 

"  He  was  crossing  the  bay  from  New  York  to  Elizabeth- 
town,  in  company  with  two  gentlemen  who  had  no  great 
fondness  for  clergymen,  and  who  cautiously  avoided  him  for 
some  time  after  getting  on  board  the  boat.  As  he  usually 
spoke  loudly,  they  overheard  what  he  said,  and  finding  him 
a  cheerful  companion,  who  could  converse  upon  other  subjects 
besides  religion,  they  ventured  a  little  nearer  to  him;  and  at 
length  they  and  he  engaged  in  a  conversation  upon  politics. 
One  of  his  congregation,  who  was  a  fellow-passenger,  hap- 
pening to  overhear  a  remark  he  made,  stepped  up  to '  him, 


THE    REV.    WM.    TENNENT,    JR.  157 

and  said,  '  Mr.  Tennent,  please  to  spiritualize  that.'  '  Spir- 
itualize that !'  said  Mr.  T.,  '  you  don't  know  what  you  are 
talking  about.'  '  Why,  sir,  there  is  no  harm  in  talking 
religion,  is  there?'  'Yes,'  replied  Mr.  T.,  'there  is  a 
great  deal  of  harm  in  it ;  and  it  is  such  good  folks  as  you 
that  always  lug  religion  in  by  head  and  shoulders,  whether 
it  is  proper  or  not,  that  hurt  the  cause.  If  you  want  to  talk 
religion,  you  know  where  I  live,  and  I  know  where  you 
live,  and  you  may  call  at  my  house,  or  I  will  call  at  yours, 
and  I  will  talk  religion  with  you  till  you  are  tired ;  but 
this  is  not  the  time  to  talk  religion ;  we  are  talking  poli- 
tics.' This  reply,  and  his  conduct  in  other  respects,  so 
much  ingratiated  IMr.  Tennent  with  the  two  gentlemen,  as 
to  furnish  him  with  an  opportunity  for  advantageously  in- 
troducing conversation  upon  more  important  subjects  ;  and 
the  younger  of  the  two  was  so  much  pleased,  that  on  their 
arrival  at  Elizabethtown  Point,  he  insisted  upon  Mr.  Ten- 
nent taking  his  seat  in  a  chair,  and  he  walked  from  the 
Point  to  Elizabethtown  through  a  muddy  road,  which,  to  a 
person  of  Mr.  Tennent's  age,  would  have  been  very  incon- 
venient, if  not  impracticable. 

"  At  New  York,  Mr..  Tennent  went  to  hear  a  sermon  de- 
livered by  a  transient  clergyman,  who  was  often  and  well 
spoken  of,  but  whose  manner  was  singular,  and  who  fre- 
quently introduced  odd  conceits  into  his  sermons,  which 
tended  to  excite  mirth,  rather  than  to  edification.  Upon 
leaving  the  church,  a  friend  asked  Mr.  Tennent's  opinion  of 
the  sermon.  He  said  it  made  him  think  of  a  man  who 
should  take  a  bag,  and  put  into  it  some  of  the  very  best  su- 
perfine wheat  flour,  a  greater  quantity  of  Indian  meal,  and 
some  arsenic,  and  mix  them  all  together.  A  part  of  the  ser- 
mon was  of  the  very  best  quality,  more  of  it  was  coarse, 
but  very  wholesome  food,  and  some  of  it  rank  poison." 

"  Upon  another  occasion,  he  went  with  a  friend  to  hear 
&n  illiterate  carpenter  preach  at  New  York  ;  and  it  appeared 
to  him  that  the  man  denied  the  doctrine  of  the  perseverance 
of  the  saints.  The  next  morning  jMr.  Tennent  called  upon 
his  friend,  and  asked  if  it  appeared  so  to  him.  Upon  his 
friend  replying  in  the  affirmative,  Mr,  Tennent  said,  '  then 
I  must  go  and  talk  with  him,  and  you  must  go  along  with 
me.'  His  friend  begged  to  be  excused,  but  Mr.  Tennent 
insisted  vipon  his  going,  as  he  had  heard  the  doctrine  denied. 

14 


158  THE    LOG     COLLEGE. 

They  found  the  carpenter  at  breakfast.  Mr.  Tennent  asked 
if  he  was  the  person  who  had  preached  last  evening.  He  said 
he  was.  '  Then/  said  Mr.  Teunent,  '  it  appeared  to  me  that 
you  denied  the  doctrine  of  the  perseverance  of  the  saints  j 
did  I  understand  you  rightly  V  '  Yes,  sir,  be  sure  I  did/ 
said  the  carpenter ;  '  that  is  a  doctrine  which  no  man  in  his 
senses  can  believe.'  '  I'll  tell  you,'  replied  Mr.  Tennent, 
'  that  it  is  the  most  prccidus  doctrine  in  all  the  book  of  Grod. 
I  will  give  up  my  life  before  I  will  give  that  up.  I  must 
talk  with  you  about  it.'  The  man  alleged  that  he  was  a 
mechanic,  who  depended  upon  his  trade  for  the  support  of 
his  family,  and  could  not  stay  to  talk;  he  must  mind  his 
business.  '  I  am  glad  to  hear  that,'  said  Mr.  Tennent,  '  I 
love  to  see  men  diligent  in  their  lawful  callings ;  it  is  their 
duty ;  but  yours  is  of  such  a  nature  that  you  can  work  and 
talk  at  the  same  time ;  and  I  will  go  with  you  to  where  your 
business  lies,  so  that  your  time  shall  not  be  wasted.'  The 
carpenter  said  he  did  not  want  to  talk,  took  his  hat  and  ab- 
ruptly went  off.  Mr.  Tennent  followed  him.  The  man 
walked  faster.  Mr.  Tennent  quickened  his  pace.  At  length 
the  man  ran  ;  so  did  Mr.  Tennent.  But  the  carpenter  was 
too  fleet  for  his  pursuer ;  by  his  speed  he  evaded  his  argu- 
ments, and  remained  in  error." 

The  following  anecdote  has  been  handed  down  by 
tradition,  and  in  substance  is  confirmed  by  a  one-sided 
account  of  the  affair,  contained  in  the  life  of  Murray, 
the  Universalist,  who  is  the  person  concerned.  Mr. 
Tennent's  zeal  for  the  truth,  and  opposition  to  what  he 
viewed  to  be  error,  were  very  strong,  and  Avere  mani- 
fested whenever  an  occasion  occurred  which  called  for 
their  exercise.  It  so  happened  that  Mr.  Murray,  an 
Englishman,  who  had  adopted  from  Rclly,  the  doc- 
trines of  Universalism,  was  landed  on  the  Jersey  shore 
not  very  remote  from  Mr.  Tennent's  residence. 
Though  he  had  not  been  a  Universalist  preacher  in 
England,  yet  having,  while  in  connection  with  the 
Methodists,  both  in  Ireland  and  England,  been  accus- 
tomed to  public  speaking  in  the  way  of  exhortation,  he 
was  induced,  upon  his  landing  at  a  place  on  the  Jersey 
shore  called  "  Good  Luck/'  to  commence  preachisjg  to 


THE    REV.   WM.    TENNENT,   JR  159 

the  people.  At  first  his  doctrine  of  universal  salvation 
was  not  clearly  and  openly  announced,  but  rather 
covertly  insinuated.  Possessing  some  wit  and  elo- 
quence, he  attracted  many  hearers,  and  travelled  about 
the  country,  addressing  the  people  wherever  he  could 
get  an  opportunity.  Soon  after  he  commenced  this 
career,  he  came  into  the  congregation  of  Freehold,  and 
lodged  with  one  of  Mr.  Tennent's  hearers.  As  soon 
as  this  watchful  pastor  hoard  that  the  wolf  had  entered 
among  the  sheep  of  his  flock,  taking  with  him  some  of 
his  neighbours,  he  went  to  the  house  where  Mr. 
Murray  was  staying,  and  demanded  of  him  by  what 
authority  he  had  assumed  the  office  of  preacher.' 
Murray  answered  him  by  asking,  by  what  authority 
he  asked  him  such  a  question.  An  altercation  ensued ; 
Mr.  Tennent  continuing  peremptorily  to  demand  his 
authority  to  preach,  and  he  as  pertinaciously  evading  a 
direct  answer.  It  docs  not  appear,  however,  from  Mr. 
Murray's  account,  the  only  written  one  which  Ave  have 
seen,  that  Mr.  Tennent  then  knew  that  he  was  a  Uni- 
versalist;  for  in  the  interview  nothing  was  said  on  that 
subject,  nor  on  any  other  point  of  doctrine.  It  would 
seem  that  Mr.  Tennent  considered  him  as  an  irregular, 
unauthorized  itinerant,  who,  not  being  in  connection 
with  any  denomination  of  Christians,  ought  not  to  be 
encouraged.  And  this,  according  to  Mr.  Murray's 
own  account,  was  the  exact  state  of  the  case.  Ho 
stood  entirely  alone,  and  professed  to  hold  ecclesiastical 
connection  with  no  body  on  earth ;  yet  this  man  became 
the  founder  of  a  large  sect  in  this  country,  for  the 
Univgrsalists  acknowledge  him  as  a  father.  But  as 
the  course  of  error  is  always  downAvard,  most  of  his 
followers  have  departed  far  from  his  opinions  ,^i»  other 
doctrinal  points,  as  appears  by  his  life. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  CHARLES  TENNENT. 


Birth — Immigration — Edncation — Settlement  in  the  ministry  at  Whiteclay 
Creek — Grea^  revival  under  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Whitefield — Removal 
and  death. 

From  an  oii^inal  document,  a  small  memorandum- 
book,  kept  by  the  Rev.  William  Tennent,  sen.,  we 
learn  that  his  fourth  son,  Charles,  was  born  at  Colerain, 
in  the  county  of  Down,  on  the  third  day  of  May,  in 
the  year  1711,  and  was  baptized  by  the  Rev.  Richard 
Donnell.  At  the  time  of  his  father's  emigration  from 
Ireland,  he  was  therefore,  a  boy  of  seven  years  of 
age.  He,  as  well  as  his  older  brothers,  received  his 
education  under  the  paternal  roof,  or  rather  in  the  Log 
College.  He  appears,  however,  to  have  been  less 
distinguished  than  either  of  his  brothers  ;  but  seems  to 
have  been  a  respectable  minister  of  the  gospel,  and 
was  early  settled  in  the  Presbyterian  congregation  of 
Whiteclay  Creek,  in  the  state  of  Delaware.  Soon 
after  his  settlement  in  this  place,  the  great  revival 
under  the  preaching  of  Whitefield  commenced,  and 
was  very  powerful  in  this  congregation.  Dinging  this 
remarkable  season  of  divine  influence,  Mr.  Whitefield 
spent  some  days  with  Mr.  Charles  Tennent,  and 
assisted  him  in  the  administration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  ;  preaching  to  vast  multituctes  of  people  every 
day  of  the  solemnity,  which  continued  four  days, 
according  to  custom.  This  information  the  writer 
obtained  many  years  ago,  from  one  of  the  subjects  of 
the  revival,  Mrs.  Douglass,  the  sister  of  Charles 
(160) 


THE    REV.    CHARLES    TENNENT.  161 

Thompson,  Secretary  of  the  Continental  Congress,  and 
grandmother  of  the  late  Rev.  James  Douglass,  of 
Fayette  ville.  North  Carolina,  so  highly  esteemed  as  a 
spiritual,  searching,  evangelical  preacher.  This  old 
lady  appeared  to  me  to  be  as  eminently  pious  as  any 
person  I  ever  knew.  She  informed  me,  that  while  Mr. 
AVliitefield  spoke  at  the  tables,  in  administering  the 
sacrament,  he  poured  forth  such  a  flood  of  tears,  that 
his  cambric  handkerchief  was  wet  as  if  it  had  been 
dipped  in  water.  She  spoke  of  that  day  as  by  far  the 
most  glorious  she  had  ever  witnessed.  Her  account  of 
the  Rev.  Charles  Tennent  Avas,  that  he  was  a  plain, 
good  preacher,  but  not  distinguished  for  great  abilities. 
I  was  surprised  to  find  that  this  pious  old  lady  was  no 
longer  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  but  had 
long  ago  joined  the  communion  of  the  Seceders. 
Upon  mquiry  it  appeared  that  this  change  had  been 
made  by  her  and  some  others,  in  consef[uence  of  the 
union  entered  into  with  the  Old  Side,  in  1758.  The 
congregation  of  Whiteclay  Creek,  of  Avhich  ]Mr.  Ten- 
nent was  the  pastor,  was  situated  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  some  congregations,  the  ministers  and  members  of 
which  opposed  the  revival,  and  represented  the  whole 
as  a  delusion  of  the  devil. 

The  friends,  and  especially  the  subjects  of  the 
revival,  could  not  but  consider  these  opposers  as  the 
enemies  of  vital  piety,  and  therefore  felt  no  disposition 
to  hold  any  fellowship  with  them.  They  were  there- 
fore astonished  and  offended,  when  they  understood 
that  a  union  between  the  two  parties  had  been  consum- 
mated. As  soon  as  Mr.  Tennent  returned  from  the 
Synod  in  Philadelphia,  where  the  union  had  been 
agreed  on,  Mrs.  Douglass  went  to  him,  and  expostu- 
lated with  him  on  the  subject.  "  Oh  !  Mr.  Tennent," 
said  she,  "  how  could  you  consent  to  enter  into  com- 
munion with  those  who  so  wickedly  reviled  the 
glorious  work  of  God's  grace  in  this  land  ?  As  for 
myself,  I  never  can  and  never  Avill,  until  they  profess 
repentance  for  their  grievous  sin,  in  speaking  con- 
14* 


162  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

temptuously  of  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  And 
accordingly,  she  went  and  joined  the  Seceders,  who  had 
begun  to  form  societies  in  several  parts  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  continued  in  their  communion  until  her 
dying  day.  But  her  heart  was  still  with  the  evan- 
gelical part  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  all  her 
children  entered  into  the  communion  of  that  church. 
Two  of  her  sons,  James  Douglass,  and  Daniel  Doug- 
lass, some  forty  years  ago,  were  pious,  intelligent,  and 
estimable  elders  in  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Alex- 
andria, D.  C,  of  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Muir,  was  the 
respected  pastor.  No  doubt,  the  views  of  this  good 
lady  in  regard  to  the  union,  so  happily  formed  between 
the  dissentient  parties  in  the  Presbyterian  church, 
were  narrow,  yet  they  were  very  natural,  and  arose 
from  her  acquaintance  with  the  Old  Side  party,  being 
confined  to  those  immediately  around  her,  who  had 
taken  a  very  active  part  in  ridiculing  and  maligning 
this  blessed  reformation,  by  which  many  sinners  were 
converted,  and  turned  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from 
the  power  of  Satan  unto  God.  The  writer,  in  his 
youth,  has  known  some  people  who  would  indulge  in 
the  most  violent  wrath,  at  any  favourable  mention  of 
Mr.  Whitefield  ;  and  yet  they  professed  to  believe  the 
very  doctrines  which  he  preached.  A  large  part  of 
those,  however,  who  belonged  to  the  Old  Side,  were 
actuated  by  no  such  spirit ;  but  were  quiet,  orderly, 
well  informed  Christians,  Avho  were  very  careful  in  the 
religious  instruction  of  their  own  families,  and  very 
strict  and  conscientious  in  all  the  duties  of  religion. 

Some  years  before  his  death,  Mr.  Charles  Tenncnt 
removed  from  Whiteclay  Creek,  to  Buckingham  church, 
in  Maryland,  where  he  ended  his  days,  and  where,  it  is 
presumed,  his  remains  were  interred.  Of  his  latter 
days,  and  of  the  circumstances  of  his  decease,  we 
have  received  no  authentic  information. 

It  may  be  proper,  however,  to  observe  that  he  had  a 
son,  the  Rev.  William  M.  Tennent,  who,  after  receiv- 
ing a  finished  education,  entered  the  holy  ministry,  and 


THE  REV.  CHARLES  TENNENT.    163 

became  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Abington, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia.  He  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Kudgers,  of  Noav  York,  and 
received  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity 
from  Yale  College. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  sweetness  of  temper  and  po- 
liteness of  manners,  and  was  distinguished  for  his  hos- 
pitality. His  house  was  seldom  without  the  company  of 
friends  and  act{uaintances ;  and  all  who*  had  the  privi- 
lege of  visiting  at  this  pleasant  retreat,  were  delighted 
with  their  cordial  reception  and  kind  entertainment. 
His  last  sickness  was  long,  but  in  it  he  was  in  a 
great  measure  exempt  from  pain,  and  w^as  blessed  with 
an  uninterrupted  assurance  of  the  favour  of  God.  The 
writer,  then  residing  in  Philadelphia,  frequently  saw 
and  conversed  with  him  ;  and  he  must  say,  that  he 
never  saw  a  person  in  a  sweeter,  calmer,  happier  state 
of  mind,  and  it  continued  for  many  weeks.  He  died 
in  the  year  1811  or  1812,  and  had  no  children. 

It  is  believed  that  no  male  descendant  of  any  branch 
of  the  Tennent  family  now  remains  in  this  part  of  the 
country ;  though  there  are  several  in  South  Carolina. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


THE   REV.    SAMUEL    BLAIR. 


Educated  in  the  Log  College — Licensed  to  preach  by  the  New  Castle  Pres- 
bytery— First  settled  at  Shrewsbury,  N.  J.— Removes  to  New  London- 
derry in  Pennsylvania — Great  revival  in  that  congregation — His  letter 
to  Mr.  Prince — How  far  justifiable  in  violating  rules  of  order — Dr.  Fin- 
ley's  character  of  him — Mr.  Davies's  Elegy — Publications. 

The  follomng  character  of  Mr.  Samuel  Blair  is  given 
by  Dr.  Finley,  in  his  funeral  sermon,  occasioned  by 
the  death  of  this  eminent  servant  of  Jesus  Ckrist. 

"■  He  was  blessed  with  early  piety.  On  his  dying  bed  he 
could  recollect  with  delight,  various  evidences  of  gracious 
influences  in  his  tender  years.  By  this  means  he  was  hap- 
pily preserved  from  being  ever  engaged  in  vicious  courses, 
and  at  once  grew  in  stature  and  in  grace.  Religion,  far  from 
being  a  flashy  thing  with  him,  was  rational  and  solid ;  mani- 
festing itself  in  unreserved  obedience  to  all  Grod's  command- 
ments. 

"  To  a  holy  disposition  was  added  a  great  genius,  capable 
of  the  highest  improvement.  He  had  a  deep  and  penetrat- 
ing judgment,  a  clear  and  regular  way  of  conceiving  things, 
and  a  retentive  memory.  He  was  an  indefatigable  student, 
a  calm  and  impartial  searcher  after  truth.  He  thought  for 
himself,  and  was  determined  in  his  conclusions,  only  by  evi- 
dence. He  had  a  very  considerable  store  of  critical  learn- 
ing, and  was  especially  conversant  with  the  Scriptures  in  the 
original  languages.  How  great  his  attainments  in  philosophy 
were  was  known  by  few ;  for  in  his  last  years  his  thirst  for 
knowledge  did  sensibly  increase,  and  he  greatly  improved 
himself  therein.  He  studied  several  branches  of  the  mathe- 
matics, and  especially  geometry  and  astronomy;   nor  will 

(164) 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIR.  165 

these  seem  tasteless  studies  to  one  who  had  such  a  savour 
of  liviug  piety,  when  it  is  considered  that  he  saw  the  glory 
of  God  in  all  his  works,  and  admired  and  adored  him  in  all. 
He  delighted  to  see  the  .'  invisible  things  of  Him,  even  his 
eternal  power  and  Godhead,  manifested  by  the  things  that 
are  made.'  It  was  edifying  to  him  to  trace  the  footsteps  of 
the  divine  wisdom  in  particulars,  and  the  infinite  reach  of 
projection  in  the  frame  and  structure  of  the  whole. 

"  But  his  critical  and  philosophical  learning,  and  his  large 
acquaintance  with  geography  and  history,  were  exceeded  by 
his  knowledge  in  divinity.  This  was  the  business  of  his 
life,  and  herein  he  made  such  proficiency  as  few  of  his  stand- 
ing in  the  ministry  have  attained  to.  Here  he  found 
what  perfectly  answered  his  refined,  spiritual  taste.  The 
contemplation  of  redeeming  love  did  much  more  elevate  his 
soul  than  that  of  the  works  of  creation ;  for  therein  he  saw 
the  wisdom,  the  power,  the  justice  and  the  love  of  God  more 
clearly  displayed.  On  every  subject  he  had  a  set  of  most 
accurately  studied  thoughts.  He  had  often  weighed  in  an 
impartial  balance  every  theological  controversy;  was  a  solid 
disputant,  and  able  to  defend  all  necessary  truth.  He  was 
a  judicious  casuist,  and  could  very  satisfyingly  resolve  du- 
bious and  perplexed  cases  of  conscience.  He  was  not  only 
a  proficient  in  systematic  divinity,  which  is  comparatively  a 
small  attainment,  but  a  great  textuary.  He  studied  the 
sacred  oracles  above  all  other  things,  and  that  it  was  not  in 
vain,  manifestly  appeared  from  his  great  ability  in  <  dividing 
the  word  of  truth.'  He  could  '  bring  out  of  his  treasure 
things  new  and  old.'  How  clearly  and  fully  would  he  ex- 
plain his  subject !  with  what  irresistible  arguments  confirm 
the  truth  !  With  what  admirable  dexterity  accommodate  it 
to  his  audience  !  And  with  what  solemn  pungency  did  he 
impress  it  on  the  conscience  !  He  spoke  like  one  who  knew 
the  worth  of  souls,  and  felt  in  himself  the  surest  constraints 
of  love  to  God  and  man. 

"  As  to  his  religious  principles,  he  was  of  noble  and  gene- 
rous sentiments.  He  had  not  '  so  learned  Christ,'  as  to  be 
furious  in  his  zeal  for  mere  circumstantial  or  indiflferent 
points.  He  understood  the  nature  of  religion  better  than 
to  place  it  in  things  in  which  it  does  not  consist ;  and  was 
too  much  exWcised  about  '  the  great  matters  of  the  law,'  to 
be  equally  zealous  for  *  mint,  anise,  and  cummin.'     Though 


166  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

sacrifice  be  good,  yet  he  had  learned  that '  mercy  is  better.'  He 
believed,  and  that  in  accordance  with  the  Scriptures,  that 
the  communion  of  saints  is  of  much  greater  importance  than 
many  of  those  things  in  which  Christians  diflfer  in  judgment, 
and  was,  therefore,  far  from  such  narrowness  as  to  make 
every  principle  and  practice  which  he  thought  to  be  good 
and  true,  a  term  of  communion ;  and  he  was  as  far  from  the 
contrary  extreme  of  indiiference  to  the  truth  and  laxncss  of 
discipline.  As  he  was  diligent  in  the  exercise  of  his  minis- 
terial office  to  the  utmost  of  his  strength,  not  sparing  him- 
self, so  God  did  very  remarkably  succeed  his  faithful  minis- 
trations to  the  conversion  of  many  souls.  He  was  the 
spiritual  father  of  great  numbers.  I  have  had  acquaintance 
with  Christians  in  different  places,  where  he  only  preached 
occasionally,  who  gave  all  hopeful  evidences  of  a  sacred  con- 
version, and  acknowledged  him  to  be  the  instrument  of  it. 
He  was  strict  in  discipline,  yet  so  as  to  be  still  candid ;  and 
severely  just,  yet  so  as  to  be  still  compassionate  and  tender. 
And  with  what  wisdom  and  circumspection  he  judged  in 
difficult  cases,  his  brethren  of  the  Presbytery  well  know. 
We  waited  for  his  sage  remarks,  and  heard  attentively  his 
prudent  reasonings ;  and  after  his  words  how  seldom  had 
any  one  occasion  to  speak  again  !  '  His  speech  dropped 
upon  us,  and  we  waited  for  him  as  for  the  rain.'  He  has 
been  eminently  serviceable  to  the  church,  by  assisting 
several  promising  youths  in  their  studies  for  the  ministry  j 
who,  becoming  learned  by  his  instructions,  and  formed 
by  his  example,  are  now  wise,  and  useful,  and  faithful 
ministers. 

"  He  was  remarkably  grave  and  solemn  in  his  aspect  and 
deportment,  yet  of  a  cheerful,  even,  and  pleasant  temper. 
And  in  conversation  with  his  intimate  friends,  facetious  and 
witty,  when  the  season  and  concurring  circumstances  would 
allow  him  to  indulge  in  that  way ;  in  respect  of  which  his 
prudence  could  well  direct  him.  He  was  of  a  generous  and 
liberal  disposition  ;  far  from  being  niggardly,  or  covetous ; 
was  forward  in  acts  of  charity  to  the  indigent,  according  to 
Lis  ability,  and  all  his  conduct  discovered  a  noble  indifference 
toward  earthly  things. 

"  If  we  consider  him  as  a  friend,  he  was  as  ten  and  stead- 
fast, and  might  as  much  be  depended  on  as  any  I  ever  knew. 
He  was  remote  from  precarious  and  fickle  humours  :  his  ap- 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    BLAIR.  167 

probation  was  not  easily  obtained,  nor  easily  lost.  Nor  wag 
be  a  friend  only  in  compliment,  but  would  cheerfully  under- 
go hardships,  and  suffer  disadvantages,  in  order  to  do  a 
friendly  office.  He  was  conscientiously  punctual  in  attend- 
ing ecclesiastical  judicatures,  presbyteries  or  synods.  His 
presence  might  be  depended  on,  if  nothing  extraordinary  in- 
tervened, as  certainly  as  the  appointed  day.  He  was  not 
absent  on  every  trifling  inconvenience.  In  this  respect  his 
conduct  was  truly  exemplary,  and  demonstrated  his  constant 
care  for  the  public  interests  of  religion.  So  great  was  his 
attention  to  matters  of  common  concern,  as  to  incline  him 
rather  to  expose  himself,  than  balk  an  opportunity  of  doing 
good.  It  is  well  known  that  his  going  upon  an  urgent  call, 
in  a  weakly  state  of  body,  and  in  an  unsettled  season,  to  a  con- 
vention of  the  trustees  of  New  Jersey  College,  gave  occasion 
to  that  fatal  sickness,  from  which  he  never  fully  recovered. 

"  In  social  life,  also,  he  was  worthy  of  imitation.  As  a 
husljand,  he  was  afiectionate  and  kind ;  as  a  father,  tender 
and  indulgent.  In  him  condescension  and  authority  were 
duly  tempered.  There  was  that  in  him  that  could  engage 
love,  and  command  reverence  at  the  same  time.  Who  that 
was  acquainted  with  him  would  not  be  ready  to  say,  *  happy 
was  the  family  of  which  he  was  the  head,  and  happy  the 
congregation  that  enjoyed  his  ministry ;  happy  the  judica- 
ture of  which  he  was  a  member ;  and  happy  the  person  who 
was  favoured  with  his  friendship  ?'  He  was  a  public  bless- 
ing to  the  church,  an  honour  to  his  people,  an  ornament  to 
his  profession  who  '  magnified  his  office.'  He  spoke  as  he 
believed ;  he  practised  as  he  preached ;  he  lived  holy,  and 
died  joyfully. 

"  For  a  long  course  of  years,  he  had  a  habitual,  unwaver- 
ing assurance  of  his  interest  in  the  favour  of  God,  and  that 
a  blessed  and  glorious  eternity  would  one  day  open  upon 
him ;  which  were  his  own  emphatical  words  on  his  dying 
bed.  This  his  assurance  was  solid  and  scriptural,  arising 
from  the  many  and  clear  experiences  he  had  of  gracious 
communications  to  his  soul.  He  was  made  sensible  in  his 
early  years  of  his  guilty  state  by  nature  as  well  as  practice ; 
felt  his  inability  to  deliver  himself;  saw  plainly  that  he 
lay  at  mercy,  and  that  it  was  entirely  at  God's  pleasure  to 
save  or  reject  him.  This  view  of  the  case  created  in  him  a 
restless  concern,  until  the  way  of  life  through  Jesus  Christ 


168  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

was  graciously  discovered  to  him.  Then  he  saw  that  God 
could  save  him  in  consistency  with  all  the  honours  of  gov- 
erning justice;  for  that  the  obedience  and  sufferings  of 
Christ,  in  the  room  of  sinners,  have  made  a  sufficient  atone- 
ment for  sin.  He  saw  that  Christ  was  a  Saviour  every  way 
complete  and  suitable  for  him.  His  soul  approved  the  Di- 
vine and  glorious  plan ;  and  freely  disclaiming  all  depend- 
ence on  his  own  righteousness,  wisdom,  and  strength,  most 
gladly  accepted  the  offer  of  the  gospel,  that  Christ  should 
be  his  '  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification,  and  redemp- 
tion.' Strict  holiness  was  his  choice,  and  it  was  the  delight- 
ful business  of  his  life,  to  do  always  those  things  which 
pleased  his  Heavenly  Father.  And  on  his  dying  bed  he 
had  the  full  approbation  and  testimony  of  his  conscience,  as 
to  the  general  bent  and  tenor  of  his  life.  These  particulars 
are  the  heads  of  what  he  himself  told  me  in  his  last  sick- 
ness, and  are  delivered  in  the  same  order,  as  near  as  I  can 
possibly  recollect, 

"  When  he  approached  near  his  end  he  expressed  most 
ardent  desires  '  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ ;'  and  especially 
the  three  last  days  of  his  life  were  taken  up  in  this  exer- 
cise. Many  gracious  words  he  spoke,  gave  an  affectionate 
farewell  to  his  beloved,  sorrowful  consort,  and  dear  chil- 
dren ;  tenderly  committed  them  to  the  Divine  mercy  and 
faithfulness,  and  fervently  prayed  that  the  blessing  of  the 
Most  High  might  be  vouchsafed  to  them,  and  rest  upon 
them ;  which  prayer,  I  hope,  will  be  answered.  His  last 
words,  a  minute  or  two  before  his  departure,  were,  '  the 
Bridegroom  is  come,  and  we  shall  now  have  all  things.' 
And  thus,  under  a  gleam  of  heaven,  he  breathed  out  his 
last." 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Davies,  who  had  received  nearly 
his  whole  education  under  the  tuition  of  Samuel  Blair, 
was  deeply  affected  when  he  heard  the  sad  tidings  of 
the  death  of  his  revered  and  beloved  instructor.  He 
was  then  residing  at  Hanover,  in  Virginia,  where  he 
had  gone  to  occupy  an  important  station,  as  will  be 
particularly  related  in  another  part  of  this  work.  Mr. 
Davies,  who  possessed  ardent  affections,  and  a  lively  im- 
agination, and  frequently  gave  indulgence  to  his  poetic 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIR.  169 

genius,  which,  if  it  liacl  been  cultivated,  might  have 
rendered  him  conspicuous  in  that  department,  now 
invoked  his  sacred  muse,  and  composed  an  elegy  of 
many  lines  on  his  admired  friend  and  tutor.  The 
poem  is  more  remarkable  for  pathos,  than  for  smooth 
versification.  The  only  reason  for  noticing  it  here,  is 
to  show  the  opinion  entertained  of  Mr.  Blair  by  this 
first  of  American  preachers.  A  few  exttracts  will  be 
sufficient  to  answer  our  purpose. 

" Blair  is  no  more — then  this  poor  world  has  lost 

As  rich  a  jowol  as  her  stores  could  boast ; 
Heaven,  in  just  vengeance,  has  recalled  again 
Its  faithful  envoy  from  the  sons  of  men, 
Advanced  him  from  his  pious  toils  below, 
lu  raptures  there,  in  kindred  plains  to  glow." 

"  0,  had  not  the  mournful  news  divulged, 
INIy  mind  had  still  the  pleasing  dream  indulged — 
Still  fancied  Blair  with  health  and  vigour  blessed, 
With  some  grand  purpose  labouring  in  his  breast; 
In  studious  thought  pursuing  truth  divine. 
Till  the  full  demonstration  round  him  shine ; 
Or,  from  the  sacred  desk  proclaiming  loud 
His  blaster's  message  to  the  attentive  crowd, 
While  heavenly  trutli  with  l)right  conviction  glares, 
And  coward  error  shrinks  and  disappears  ; 
While  quick  remorse  the  hardy  sinner  feels. 
And  Calvary's  balm  the  bleeding  conscience  heals." 

"  Oh  !  could  the  Muse's  languid  colours  paint 
The  man,  the  scholar,  student,  preacher,  saint, 
I'd  place  his  imago  full  in  public  view  ; 
His  friends  should  know  more  than  before  they  knew. 
His  foes,  astonished  at  his  virtues,  gaze. 
Or  shrink  confounded  from  the  oppressive  blaze. 
To  trace  his  ))riglit  example,  all  should  turn. 
And  with  the  bravest  emulation  bura. 
His  name  should  my  poor  lays  iniuKn-talize, 
Till  he,  to  attest  his  character,  arise, 
And  the  Great  Judge  th'  encomium  ratifies." 

The  following  lines  will  serve  to  show  who  were  the 
persons,  in  Mr.  Davies's  estimation,  who  deserved  to 
15 


170'  »  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

be  handed  down  to  posterity,  as  the  chosen  friends  and 
faithful  coadjutors  of  Mr.  Bhiir  in  his  evangelical  labours. 
They  were  all  alumni  of  the  Log  College,  or  of  Mr. 
Blair's  school  at  New  Londonderry.  And  if  we  look 
at  the  men  educated  in  this  school,  we  cannot  but  en- 
tertain an  exalted  opinion  of  Mr.  Samuel  Blair,  as  an 
instructor. 

'  Surviving  remnant  of  the  sacred  tribe, 
Who  knew  the  worth  these  plaintive  lays  describe 
Tennents,  three  worthies  of  immortal  fame, 
Brethren  by  office,  birth,  in  heart  and  name. 
FiNLEY,  who  full  enjoyed  the  unbosomed  friend  ; 
RoDGERS,  whose  soul  he  like  his  own  refined, 
When  ail  attention,  eager  to  admit 
The  flowing  knowlellge,  at  his  reverend  feet 
Raptured  we  sat ;  and  thou  above  the  rest, 
Brother  and  image  of  the  dear  deceased. 
Surviving  Blair !  Oh,  let  spontaneous  flow 
The  floods  of  tributary  grief  you  owe. 
And  in  your  number — if  so  mean  a  name 
May  the  sad  honour  of  chief  mourner  claim. 
Oh !  may  my  filial  tears  more  copious  flow, 
And  swell  the  tide  of  universal  woe. 
Oh  !  Blair !  whom  all  the  tenderest  names  commend, 
My  father,  tutor,  pastor,  brother,  friend ! 
While  distance,  the  sad  privilege  denies, 
O'er  thy  dear  tomb,  to  vent  my  bursting  eyes, 
The  Muse  erects — the  solo  return  allowed — 
This  humble  monument  of  gratitude." 

As  the  remarkable  and  impressive  solemnity  of  Sam- 
uel ]>lair's  appearance,  especially  in  the  pulpit,  has 
been  noticed  by  all  who  have  given  any  account  of  him, 
it  will  be  gratifying  to  have  the  same  confirmed  by 
such  a  man  as  Samuel  Davies,  who  himself  was  so  dis- 
tinguished for  dignity  and  solemnity  in  the  pulpit,  that 
one  of  the  most  excellent  laymen  I  ever  knew,  told  me 
that  he  went  to  hear  Mr.  Davies  preach  when  he  was 
just  grown  up,  and  that  the  sight  of  the  man  and  the 
mere  utterance  of  his  text  "  INIartlui,  Martha,"  &c.,  made 
a  deeper  impression  on  liim  than  all  the  sermons  he 
had  ever  heard  before. 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    BLAIR.  171 

"Now,  in  the  sacred  desk,  I  see  him  rise, 
And  well  he  acts  the  herald  of  the  skies. 
Graceful  solemnity,  and  striking  awe 
Sit  in  his  looks,  and  deep  attention  draw. 
His  speaking  aspect — in  the  bloom  of  youth 
Renewed — declares  unutterable  truth. 
Unthinking  crowds  grow  solemn  as  they  gaze, 
And  read  his  awful  message  in  his  face." 

The  principal  writings  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Blair 
were  collected  by  his  brother  John  after  his  death, 
and  published  in  Philadelphia,  in  the  year  1754. 

This  volume  contains  seven  sermons,  all  on  highly 
important  and  practical  subjects,  which  are  treated  in 
a  very  solemn  and  methodical  manner.  His  style  is 
pcrsjiicuous,  but  neither  terse  nor  elegant ;  but  the 
thoughts  are  those  of  a  profound  thinker. 

To  these  sermons  is  appended  an  elaborate  treatise 
on  Predestination  and  Reprobation,  evincing  that  the 
author  was  a  thorough-going  Calvinist.  This  treatise 
has  been  recently  republished  in  Baltimore.  This 
volume  also  contains  his  "  Vindication,"  written  by 
the  direction  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick,  in 
answer  to  "  The  Government  of  the  Church,"  &c.,  by 
the  Rev,  John  Thompson. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Blair  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
but  came  early  to  this  country,  and  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  Log  College,  under  Mr.  Wm.  Tennent, 
sen.,  at  Neshaminy.  He  must,  indeed,  have  been 
among  the  first  pupils  of  this  institution.  After  finish- 
ing his  classical  and  theological  studies,  Mr,  Blair  put 
liimself  under  the  care  of  the  New  Castle  Presbytery, 
hj  which  body  he  was,  in  due  time,  licensed  to  preach 
the  gospel.  Soon  after  his  licensure,  he  was  settled 
in  the  Presbyterian  congregation  at  Shrewsbury,  in 
New  Jersey.  He  laboured  in  this  field  for  five  or  six 
years,  when  he  received  an  earnest  call  to  settle  in 
New  Londonderry,  otherwise  called  Fagg's  Manor,  in 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  Here  he  instituted  a  clas- 
sical school,  similar  in  its  purpose  to  that  of  Mr.  Ten- 
nent, in  Neshaminy,  in  which  some  of  the  ablest  min- 
isters of  the  Presbyterian  church  received  either  the 


172  THE    LOG     COLLEaE. 

•whole,  or  tlie  more  substantial  parts  of  their  education. 
Among  these  were  the  Rev.  Samuel  Davies,  the  Rev. 
Alexander  Cummings,  the  Rev.  John  Rodgers,  D.  D., 
the  Rev.  James  Finley,  and  the  Rev,  Hugh  Henry. 
Mr.  Blair's  settlement  at  Shrewsbury,  was  in  the  year 
1734,  when  he  was  only  twenty-two  years  of  age.  The 
Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick  did  not  exist  until  the 
year  1738,  of  which  Mr.  Blair  was  one  of  the  original 
members. 

When  he  received  the  call  from  New  Londonderry, 
in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania,  he  left  it  to  the  Pres- 
bytery to  decide  whether  he  should  go  or  stay.  After 
mature  deliberation,  they  advised  him  to  accept  the 
call,  as  they  were  of  opinion  it  would  introduce  him 
into  a  wider  field  of  usefulness. 

There  are  no  records  extant,  from  which  we  can 
learn  any  particulars  respecting  the  fruits  of  Mr. 
Blair's  labours  at  Shrew^sbury.  Here  he  commenced 
his  ministerial  work,  and  as  he  was  a  faithful,  able,  and 
zealous  preacher  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  we  en- 
tertain no  doubt  that  some  of  the  good  seed  which  he 
sowed,  fell  into  good  ground  and  brought  forth  fruit. 
The  vicissitudes  of  that  congregation  have  been  remark- 
able. For  a  wdiile  it  was  flourishing,  and  had  many 
respectable  members,  but  it  became  apparently  extinct, 
and  the  house  of  worship  was  burned ;  but  after  being 
dead  for  some  years  it  was  resuscitated ;  it  now  pro- 
mises to  flourish  again. 

Under  his  ministry  at  New  Londonderry,  there  oc- 
curred a  very  remarkable  revival  of  religion,  of  which 
he  wrote  a  particular  narrative.  The  congregation  at 
Fagg's  Manor  consisted  almost  entirely  of  emigrants 
from  the  north  of  Ireland,  and  had  been  formed  a 
number  of  years,  but  had  never  enjoyed  the  ministry 
of  a  stated  pastor.  His  settlement  among  them  took 
place  in  November,  1739  ;  although  he  was  not  in- 
stalled as  their  pastor  until  the  month  of  April,  1740. 

The  revival  referred  to  above  commenced  a  short 
time  after  his  settlement  in  the  place.     The  following 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    BLAIR.  173 

account  is  contained  in  the  "  Narrative"  which  he 
wrote  in  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Prince,  of  Boston, 
in  his  "Christian  History." 

"  New  Londonderry  in  Pennsylvania,  Aug.  6th,  1744. 

"  Rev.  Sir — I  do  most  gladly  comply  with  your  desire 
in  sending  you  some  accouu't  of  the  glorious  appearance  of 
God  in  a  way  of  special  grace  for  us  in  this  cougregation, 
and  other  parts  of  this  country;  and  am  of  the  same  judg- 
ment with  you  and  other  pious  and  judicious  people,  that 
the  collecting  and  publishing  of  such  accounts  may  greatly 
tend  to  the  glory  of  our  lledecmer,  and  the  increase  of  his 
triumphs.  I  much  rejoice  in  the  publication  of  such  a  col- 
lection in  the  Christian  History,  so  far  as  it  is  already  car- 
ried on ;  I  think  it  may  serve  to  many  excellent  purposes, 
and  be  a  happy  mean  of  advancing  the  dear  interests  of 
our  glorious  Redeemer's  kingdom,  both  in  the  present  age 
and  the  ages  to  come.  And  I  cannot  but  look  upon  myself 
as  called  of  God  in  duty,  being  thus  invited  to  it  by  you, 
Rev.  Sir,  to  put  to  a  hand,  among  many  others  of  my  reve- 
rend fathers  and  brethren  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  to 
the  carrying  on  of  the  design  of  said  history,  containing 
accounts  of  the  revival  and  propagation  of  religion  in  this 
remarkable  day  of  grace.  I  cannot,  indeed,  give  near  so 
full  and  particular  a  relation  of  the  revival  of  religion  here 
as  I  might  have  done,  had  I  had  such  a  thing  in  view  at 
the  time  when  God  was  most  eminently  carrying  on  his 
work  among  us.  I  entirely  neglected  then  to  note  down  any 
particulars  in  writing,  for  which  I  have  been  often  sorry 
since ;  so  that  this  account  must  bo  very  imperfect  to  what 
it  might  otherwise  have  been. 

"  That  it  may  the  more  clearly  appear  that  the  Lord  has 
indeed  carried  on  a  work  of  true  real  religion  among  us  of 
late  years,  I  conceive  it  will  be  useful  to  give  a  brief  general 
view  of  the  state  of  religion  in  these  parts,  before  this  re- 
markable season.  I  doubt  not  then  but  there  were  some 
sincerely  religious  people  up  and  down ;  and  there  were,  I 
believe,  a  considerable  number  in  the  several  congregations, 
pretty  exact,  according  to  their  education,  in  the  observance 
of  the  external  forms  of  religion,  not  only  as  to  attendance 
upon  public  ordinances  on  the  Sabbath,  but  also  as  to  the 
practice  of  family  worship,  and,  perhaps,  secret  prayer  too  ; 
15* 


174  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

but  with  these  things  the  most  part  seemed  to  all  appearance 
to  rest  contented,  and  to  satisfy  their  consciences  with  a 
dead  formality  in  religion.  If  they  performed  these  duties 
pretty  punctually  in  their  seasons,  and  as  they  thought  with 
a  good  meaning  out  of  conscience,  and  not  just  to  obtain  a 
name  for  religion  among  men,  then  they  were  ready  to 
conclude  that  they  were  truly  and  sincerely  religious.  A 
very  lamentable  ignorance  of  the  main  essentials  of  true 
practical  religion,  and  the  doctrines  nextly  relating  thcre- 
imto,  very  generally  prevailed.  The  nature  and  necessity 
of  the  new  birth  was  but  little  known  or  thought  of.  The 
necessity  of  a  conviction  of  sin  and  misery  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  opening  and  applying  the  law  to  the  conscience,  in 
order  to  a  saving  closure  with  Christ,  was  hardly  known  at 
all  to  the  most.  It  was  thought  that  if  there  was  any  need 
of  a  heart-distressing  sight  of  the  soul's  danger,  and  fear  of 
divine  wrath,  it  was  only  needful  for  the  grosser  sort  of  sin- 
ners ;  and  for  any  others  to  be  deeply  exercised  this  way 
(as  there  might  sometimes  be  before,  some  rare  instances 
observable)  this  was  generally  looked  upon  to  be  a  great 
evil  and  temptation  that  had  betallen  those  persons.  The 
common  names  for  such  soul-concern  were,  melancholy, 
trouble  of  mind,  or  despair.  These  terms  were  in  common, 
so  far  as  I  have  been  acquainted,  indifferently  used  as 
synonymous;  and  trouble  of  mind  was  looked  upon  as  a 
great  evil,  which  all  persons  that  made  any  sober  profession 
and  practice  of  religion  ought  carefully  to  avoid.  -  There 
was  scarcely  any  suspicion  at  all,  in  general,  of  any  danger 
of  depending  upon  self-righteousness,  and  not  upon  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  alone  for  salvation.  Papists  and 
Quakers  would  be  readily  acknowledged  guilty  of  this 
crime,  but  hardly  any  professed  Presbyterian.  The  neces- 
sity of  being  first  in  Christ  by  a  vital  union,  and  in  a  justi- 
fied state,  before  our  religious  services  can  be  well  pleasing 
and  acceptable  to  God,  was  very  little  understood  or  thought 
of;  but  the  common  notion  seemed  to  be,  that  if  people 
were  aiming  to  l)e  in  the  way  of  duty  as  well  as  they  could, 
as  they  imagined,  there  was  no  reason  to  be  much  afraid. 

"  According  to  these  principles,  and  this  ignorance  of 
some  of  the  most  soul-concerning  truths  of  the  gospel, 
people  were  v(a-y  generally,  through  the  land,  careless 
at  heart,  and  stupidly  indifferent  about  the  great  concerns 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIR.  175 

of  eternity.  There  was  very  little  appearance  of  any 
hearty-eugagedness  in  religion ;  and  indeed  the  wise,  for  the 
most  part,  were  in  a  great  degree  asleep  with  the  foolish. 
It  was  sad  to  see  with  what  a  careless  behaviour  the  public 
ordinances  were  attended,  and  how  people  were  given  to 
unsuitable  worldly  discourse  on  the  Lord's  holy  day.  In 
public  coujpanies,  especially  at  weddings,  a  vain  and  frothy 
lightness  was  apparent  in  the  deportment  of  many  pro- 
fessors; and  in  some  places,  very  extravagant  follies,  as 
horse-running,  fiddling,  and  dancing,  pretty  much  obtained 
on  those  occasions. 

"  Thus  religion  lay,  as  it  were,  a  dying,  and  ready  to  expire 
its  last  breath  of  life  in  this  part  of  the  visible  church  ;  and 
it  was  in  the  spring  of  1740  when  the  God  of  salvation 
was  pleased  to  visit  us,  with  the  blessed  eft'usions  of  his  Holy 
Spirit,  in  an  eminent  manner.  The  first  very  open  and  pub- 
lic appearance  of  this  gracious  visitation  in  these  parts,  was 
in  the  congregation  which  God  has  committed  to  my  charge. 
This  congregation  has  not  been  erected  above  fourteen  or 
fifteen  years  from  this  time;  the  place  is  a  new  settlement, 
generally  settled  with  people  from  Ireland  (as  all  our  con- 
gregations in  Pennsylvania,  except  two  or  three,  chiefly  are 
made  up  of  people  from  that  kingdom).*  I  am  the  first 
minister  they  have  ever  had  settled  in  the  place,  having 
been  regularly  liberated  fi-om  my  former  charge,  in  East 
Jersey,  above  an  hundred  miles  north-eastward  from  hence  ; 
the  reverend  presbytery  of  New  Brunswick,  of  which  I  had 
the  comfort  of  being  a  member,  judging  it  to  be  my  duty, 
for  sundry  reasons,  to  remove  from  thence.  At  the  ear- 
nest invitation  of  the  people  here,  I  came  to  them  in  the 
beginning  of  November,  17o9 ;  accepted  a  call  from  them 
that  winter,  and  was  formally  installed  and  settled  among 
them  as  their  minister  in  April  following.  There  were 
some  hopefully  pious  people  here  at  my  first  coming,  which 
was  great  encouragement  and  comfort  to  me. 

*  "  It  may  be  convenient  here  to  observe,  that  in  Ireland  are  three 
different  .«orts  of  pecijile,  deriving  from  three  several  nations.  1.  Those 
who  descend  from  the  ancient  Irish  ;  and  these  are  generally  Roman 
Catholics.  2;  Those  who  descend  from  iuieestors  who  came  from  Eng- 
hmd ;  and  these  are  generally  Church  of  England  men.  3.  Those  who 
descend  from  ancestors  who  came  from  Scotland  since  the  Reformation  ; 
and  these  are  generally  Presbyterians,  who  chiell}'  inhabit  the  north- 
erly parts  of  Ireland  :  and  these  are  the  people  who  have  of  late  years,  ia 
great  numbers,  removed  thence  into  these  American  regions. 


176  TUE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

"  I  had  some  view  and  sense  of  the  deplorable  condition 
of  the  land  in  general ;  and  accordingly  the  scope  of  my 
preaching  through  that  first  winter  after  I  came  here,  was 
mainly  calculated  for  persons  in  a  natural  unregenerate 
state.  I  endeavoured,  as  the  Lord  enabled  me,  to  open  up  and 
prove  from  his  word  the  truths  which  I  judged  most  ne- 
cessary for  such  as  were  in  that  state  to  know  and  believe,  in 
order  to  their  conviction  and  conversion.  I  endeavoured  to 
deal  searchingly  and  solemnly  with  them;  and  through  the 
concurring  blessing  of  God  I  had  knowledge  of  four  or  five 
brought  under  deep  convictions  that  winter. 

"  In  the  beginning  of  March  I  took  a  journey  into  East 
Jersey,  and  was  abroad  for  two  or  three  Sabbaths.  A 
neighbouring  minister,  who  seemed  to  be  in  earnest  for  the 
awakening  and  conversion  of  secure  sinners,  and  whom  I 
had  obtained  to  preach  a  Sabbath  to  my  people  in  my 
absence,  preached  to  them,  I  think,  on  the  first  Sab- 
bath after  I  left  home.  His  subject  was  the  dangerous  and 
awful  case  of  such  as  continue  unregenerate  and  unfruitful 
under  the  means  of  grace.  The  text  was  Luke  xiii.  7. 
'  Then  said  he  to  the  dresser  of  his  vineyard.  Behold,  these 
three  years  I  come  seeking  fruit  on  this  fig  tree,  and  find 
none;  cut  it  down,  why  cumbereth  it  the  ground?'  LTuder 
that  sermon  there  was  a  visible  appearance  of  much  soul- 
concern  among  the  hearers ;  so  that  some  burst  out  with 
an  audible  noise  into  bitter  crying ;  a  thing  not  known  in 
these  parts  before.  After  I  had  come  home,  there  came  a 
young  man  to  my  house  under  deep  trouble  about  the  state 
of  his  soul,  whom  I  had  looked  upon  as  a  pretty  light, 
merry  sort  of  a  youth ;  he  told  me  that  he  was  not  any- 
thing concerned  about  himself  at  the  time  of  hearing  the 
above-mentioned  sermon,  nor  afterwards,  till  the  next  day 
that  he  went  to  his  labour,  which  was  grubbing,  in  order 
to  clear  some  new  ground.  The  first  grub  he  set  about  was 
a  pretty  large  one,  with  a  high  top,  and  when  he  had  cut 
the  roots,  as  it  fell  down,  these  words  came  instantly  to  his 
remembrance,  and  as  a  spear  to  his  heart,  '■  cut  it  down,  why 
cumbereth  it  the  ground  V  So,  thought  he,  must  I  be  cut 
down  by  the  justice  of  Grod,  for  the  burning  of  hell,  unless 
I  get  into  another  state  than  I  am  now  in.  He  thus  came 
into  very  great  and  abiding  distress,  which,  to  all  ap- 
pearance, has  had  a  happy  issue;  his  conversation  bciug  to 
this  day  as  becomes  the  gospel  of  Christ. 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIR.  177 

''  The  news  of  this  very  public  appearance  of  deep  soul- 
concern  among  my  people  met  me  a  hundred  miles  from 
home.  I  was  very  joyful  to  hear  of  it,  in  hopes  that  God 
was  about  to  carry  on  an  extensive  work  of  converting 
grace  amongst  them ;  and  the  first  sermon  I  preached 
after  my  return  to  them,  was  from  Matthew  vi.  33. — '  Seek 
ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness.'  After 
opening  up  and  explaining  the  parts  of  the  text,  when,  in 
the  improvement,  I  came  to  press  the  injunction  in  the  text 
upon  the  unconverted  and  ungodly,  and  ofiered  this  as  one 
reason  among  others,  why  they  should  now  henceforth  first 
of  all  seek  the  kingdom  and  righteousness  of  God,  viz  : 
that  they  had  neglected  too  long  to  do  so  already ;  this 
consideration  seemed  to  come  and  cut  like  a  sword  u])on 
several  in  the  congregation;  so  that  while  I  was  speaking 
upon  it,  they  could  no  longer  contain,  but  burst  out  in  the 
most  bitter  mourning.  I  desired  them,  as  much  as  possible, 
to  restrain  themselves  from  making  any  noise  that  would 
hinder  themselves  or  others  from  hearing  what  was  spoken  ; 
and  often  afterwards  I  had  occasion  to  repeat  the  same 
counsel.  I  still  advise  people  to  endeavour  to  moderate  and 
bound  their  passions,  but  not  so  as  to  resist  or  stifle  their 
conviction.  The  number  of  the  awakened  increased  very 
fast ;  frefjuentl}'-  under  sermons  there  were  some  newly 
convicted  and  brought  into  deep  distress  of  soul  about  their 
perishing  estate.  Our  Sabbath  assemblies  soon  became 
vastly  large;  many  people,  from  almost  all  parts  around, 
inclining  very  much  to  come  where  there  was  such  ap- 
pearance of  the  divine  power  and  presence.  I  think  there 
was  scarcely  a  sermon  or  lecture  preached  here  through  that 
whole  summer,  but  there  were  manifest  evidences  of  im- 
pressions on  the  hearers ;  and  many  times  the  impressions 
'wore  very  great  and  gcnei'al ;  several  would  be  overcome 
and  fainting ;  others  deeply  sobbing,  hardly  able  to  contain ; 
others  crying  in  a  most  dolorous  manner;  many  others 
more  silently  weeping ;  and  a  solemn  concern  appearing  in 
the  countenances  of  many  others.  And  sometimes  the 
soul-exercises  of  some  (though  comparatively  but  very  few) 
would  so  far  affect  their  bodies  as  to  occasion  some  strange 
unusual  bodily  motions.  I  had  opportunities  of  speaking 
particularly  with  a  great  many  of  those,  who  afforded  such 
outward  tokens  of  inward  soul-concern  in  the  time  of  public 


178  THE   LOG   COLLEGE. 

■worship  and  hearing  of  the  word;  indeed,  many  came  to 
me,  of  themselves,  in  their  distress,  for  private  instruction 
and  counsel ;  and  I  found,  so  far  as  I  can  remember,  that 
with  by  far  the  greater  part  their  apparent  concern  in  pub- 
lic was  not  a  transient  qualm  of  conscience,  or  merely  a 
floating  commotion  of  the  aifections ;  but  a  rational  fixed 
conviction  of  their  dangerous,  perishing  estate.  They  could 
generally  offer  as  a  convictive  evidence  of  their  being  in  an 
unconverted,  miserable  estate,  that  they  were  utter  stran- 
gers to  those  dispositions,  exercises,  and  experiences  of  soul 
in  religion,  which  they  heard  laid  down  from  Grod's  word, 
as  the  inseparable  characters  of  the  truly  regenerate  people 
of  God,  even  such  as  before  had  something  of  the  form  of 
religion ;  and  I  think  the  greater  number  were  of  this  sort ; 
and  several  had  been  pretty  exact  and  punctual  in  the  per- 
formance of  outward  duties ;  they  saw  they  had  been  con- 
tenting themselves  with  the  form  without  the  life  and 
power  of  godliness ;  and  that  they  had  been  taking  peace  to 
their  consciences  from,  and  depending  upon,  their  own 
righteousness,  and  not  the  righteousness  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"  In  a  word,  they  saw  that  true  practical  religion  was 
quite  another  thing  than  they  had  conceived  it  to  be,  or  had 
any  true  experience  of.  There  were  likewise  many  up  and 
down  the  land,  brought  under  deep,  distressing  convietions 
that  summer,  who  had  lived  very  loose  lives,  regardless  of 
the  very  externals  of  religion.  In  this  congregation,  I  be- 
lieve there  were  very  few  that  wove  not  stirred  up  to  some 
solemn  thoughtfulncss  and  concern  more  than  usual  about 
their  souls.  The  general  carriage  and  behaviour  of  people 
was  soon  very  visibly  altered.  Those  awakened  were  much 
given  to  reading  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  other  good 
books.  Excellent  books  that  had  lain  by  much  neglected, 
were  then  much  perused,  and  lent  from  one  to  another;  aud- 
it was  a  peculiar  satisfaction  to  people,  to  find  how  exactly 
the  doctrines  they  heard  daily  preached,  harmonized  with 
the  doctrines  contained  and  taught  by  great  and  godly  men 
in  other  parts,  and  former  times.  The  subjects  of  discourse 
almost  always,  when  any  of  them  were  together,  were  the 
matters  of  religion  and  great  concerns  of  their  souls.  All 
unsuitable,  worldly,  vain  discourse  on  the  Lord's  day,  seemed 
to  be  laiA  aside  among  them;  indeed,  for  anything  that  ap- 
peared, there  seemed  to  be  almost  a  universal  reformation  in 
this  I'cspcct  in  our  public  assemblies  on  the  Lord's  day. 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIR,  179 

"  There  was  an  earnest  desire  in  people  after  opportunities 
for  public  worship  and  hearing  the  word.  I  appointed,  in 
the  spring,  to  preach  every  Friday  through  the  summer, 
when  I  was  at  home,^nd  those  meetings  were  well  attended ; 
and  at  several  of  them  the  power  of  the  Lord  was  remark- 
ably with  us.  The  main  scope  of  my  preaching  through 
that  summer,  was  laying  open  the  deplorable  state  of  man 
by  nature  since  the  fall,  our  ruined,  exposed  case  by  the 
breach  of  the  first  covenant,  and  the  awful  condition  of  such 
as  were  not  in  Christ,  giving  the  marks  and  characters  of 
Buch  as  were  in  that  condition ;  and,  moreover,  laying  open 
the  way  of  recovery  in  the  new  covenant,  through  a  Mediator, 
with  the  nature  and  necessity  of  faith  in  Christ,  the  Mediator, 
&c.  I  laboured  much  on  the  last  mentioned  heads,  that  the 
people  might  have  right  apprehensions  of  the  gospel-method 
of  life  and  salvation.  I  treated  much  on  the  way  of  sinners 
closing  with  Christ  by  faith,  and  obtaining  a  right  peace  to 
an  awakened  wounded  conscience ;  showing  that  persons  were 
not  to  take  peace  to  themselves  on  account  of  their  repent- 
ings,  sorrows,  prayers,  and  reformations ;  nor  to  make  these 
things  the  grounds  of  their  adventuring  themselves  upon 
Christ  and  his  righteousness,  and  of  their  expectations  of 
life  by  him ;  and  that  neither  were  they  to  obtain  or  seek 
peace  in  extraordinary  ways,  by  visions,  dreams,  or  immediate 
inspirations,  but  by  an  understanding  view,  and  believing 
persuasion  of  the  way  of  life  as  revealed  in  the  gospel, 
through  the  suretyship,  obedience  and  sufferings  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  with  a  view  of  the  suitableness  and  sutiiciency  of 
that  mediatory  righteousness  of  Christ,  for  the  justificatiuu 
and  life  of  law-condemned  siunei's ;  and  thereupon  freely  ac- 
cepting him  for  their  Saviour,  heartily  consenting  to  and  being 
well  pleased  with  the  way  of  salvation,  and  venturing  their 
all  upon  his  mediation,  from  the  warrant  and  encouragement 
aiforded  of  God  thereunto  in  his  word,  by  his  free  offer, 
authoritative  command,  and  sure  promise  to  those  that  so 
believe.  I  endeavoured  to  show  the  fruits  and  evidences  of 
a  true  faith,  &c. 

"After  some  time,  many  of  the  convinced  and  distressed 
afforded  very  hopeful,  satisfying  evidence  that  the  Lord  had 
brought  them  to  a  true  closure  with  Jesus  Christ;  and  that 
their  distresses  and  fears  had  been  in  a  great  measure  re- 
moved in  a  right  gospel-way,  by  believing  in  the  Son  of 


180  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

God.  Several  of  them  bad  very  remarkable  and  sweet  de- 
liverances this  way.  It  was  very  agreeable  to  bear  tbeir 
accounts,  how  that  when  they  were  in  the  deepest  perplexity 
and  darkness,  distress  and  difficulty  ^seeking  Grod  as  poor, 
condemned,  bell-deserving  sinners,  the  scheme  of  recovei'ing 
gr.ice  through  a  Redeemer  has  been  opened  to  tbeir  under- 
standings with  a  surprising  beauty  and  glory,  so  that  they 
were  enabled  to  believe  in  Christ  with  joy  unspeakable  and 
full  of  glory  It  appeared  that  most  generally  the  Holy 
Spirit  improved  for  this  purpose,  and  made  use  of  some  one 
particular  passage  or  other  of  the  Holy  Scripture,  that  came 
to  their  remembrance  in  their  distress ;  some  gospel-oifer  or 
promise,  or  some  declaration  of  Grod  directly  referring  to  the 
recovery  and  salvation  of  undone  sinners  by  the  new  cove- 
nant. But  with  some  it  was  otherwise ;  they  had  not  any 
one  particular  place  of  Scripture  more  than  another  in  their 
view  at  the  time.  Those  who  met  with  such  a  remarkable 
relief,  as  their  account  of  it  was  rational  and  scriptural,  so 
they  appeared  to  have  had  at  the  time  the  attendants  and 
fruits  of  a  true  faith,  particularly  humility,  love,  and  an 
aifectionate  regard  to  the  will  and  honour  of  Grod ;  much  of 
their  exercise  was  in  self-abasing  and  self-loathing,  and  ad- 
miring the  astonishing  condescension  and  grace  of  God 
towards  such  vile  and  despicable  creatures,  that  had  been  so 
full  of  enmity  and  disafibction  to  him.  They  freely  and 
sweetly,  with  all  their  hearts,  chose  the  way  of  his  com- 
mandments ;  their  inflamed  desire  was  to  live  to  him  for 
ever,  according  to  his  will,  and  to  the  glory  of  his  name. 

"  There  were  others  that  had  nbt  such  remarkable  relief 
and  comfort,  who  yet  I  could  not  but  think  were  savingly 
renewed  and  brought  truly  to  accept  of  and  rest  upon  Jesus 
Christ,  though  not  with  such  a  degree  of  liveliness  and 
liberty,  strength  and  joy;  and  some  of  those  continued  for  a 
considerable  time  after,  for  the  most  part,  under  a  very  dis- 
tressing suspicion  and  jealousy  of  their  case.  I  was  all 
along  very  cautious  of  expressing  to  people  my  judgment  of 
the  goodness  of  their  states,  except  where  I  had  pretty  clear 
evidences  from  them  of  their  being  savingly  changed;  and 
yet  they  continued  in  deep  distress,  c-asting  oif  all  their 
evidences.  Sometimes,  in  such  cases,  I  have  thought  it 
needful  to  use  greater  freedom  that  way  than  ordinary ;  but 
otherwise  I  judged  that  it  could  be  of  little  use,  and  might 
caaily  be  hurtful. 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIR.  181 

"Beside  those  above  spoken  of,  whose  experience  of  a 
work  of  grace  was  in  a  good  degree  clear  and  satisfying, 
there  were  some  others  (tliough  but  very  few  in  this  congre- 
gation that  I  knew  of,)  who,  having  very  little  knowledge 
or  capacity,  had  a  very  obscure  and  improper  way  of  repre- 
senting their  case.     In  relating  how  they  had  been  exer- 
cised, they  would  chiefly  speak  of  such  things  as  were  only 
the  effects  of  their  soul  exercise  upon  their  bodies  from  time 
to  time,  and  some  things  that  were  purely  imaginary ;  which 
obliged  me  to  be  at  much  pains  in  my  inquiries  before  I 
could  get  any  just  ideas  of  their  case.     I  would  ask  them, 
what  were   the   thoughts,  the  views  and  apprehensions   of 
their  minds,  and  exercise  of  their  affections,  at  such  times 
when  they  felt,  perhaps,  a  quivering  come  over  them,  or  a 
faintness,  or  thought  they  saw  their   hearts  full  of  some 
nauseous  filthiness ;   or  when  they  felt  a  heavy  weight  or 
load  at  their  hearts,  or  felt  the  weight  again  taken  off,  and 
a  pleasant  warmness  rising  from  their  hearts,  as  they  would 
probably  express  themselves,  which  might  be  the  occasions 
or  causes  of  these  things  they  spoke  of;    and  then,  when 
with  some  difficulty  I  could  get  them  to   understand   me, 
some  of  them  would  give  a  pretty  rational  account  of  solemn 
and  spiritual  exercises,  and  after  a  thorough  careful  exami- 
nation this  way,  T  could  not  but  conceive  good  hopes  of  some 
such  persons. 

"  But  there  were,  moreover,  several  others  who  seemed 
to  think  concerning  themselves  that  they  were  under  some 
good  work,  of  whom  yet  I  could  have  no  reasonable  ground 
to  think  that  they  were  under  any  hopeful  work  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  As  near  as  I  could  judge  of  their  case  from 
all  my  acquaintance  and  conversation  with  them,  it  was 
much  to  this  purpose.  They  believed  there  was  a  good 
work  going  on ;  that  people  were  convinced,  and  brought 
into  a  converted  state ;  and  they  desired  to  be  converted  too. 
They  saw  others  weeping  and  fainting,  and  heard  people 
mourning  and  lamenting,  and  they  thought  if  they  could  be 
like  these  it  would  be  very  hopeful  with  them ;  hence,  they 
endeavoured  just  to  get  themselves  affected  by  sermons,  and 
if  they  could  come  to  weeping,  or  get  their  passions  so  raised 
as  to  incline  them  to  vent  themselves  by  cries,  now  they 
hoped  they  were  got  under  convictions,  and  were  in  a  very 
hopeful  way;  and  afterwards  they  would   speak  of   their 

16 


182  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

being  in  trouble,  and  aim  at  complaining  of  themselves,  but 
seemed  as  if  they  knew  not  well  how  to  do  it,  nor  what  to 
say  against  themselves.  And  then  they  would  be  looking 
and  expecting  to  get  some  texts  of  Scripture  applied  to  them 
for  their  comfort ;  and  when  any  Scripture  text,  which  they 
thought  was  suitable  for  that  purpose,  came  to  their  minds, 
they  were  in  hopes  it  was  brought  to  them  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  that  they  might  take  comfort  from  it.  And  thus, 
much  in  such  a  way  as  this,  some  appeared  to  be  pleasing 
themselves  with  an  imaginary  conversion  of  their  own 
making.  I  endeavoured  to  correct  and  guard  against  all 
such  mistakes,  so  far  as  I  discovered  them  in  the  course  of 
my  ministry  ;  and  to  open  up  the  nature  of  a  true  conviction 
by  the  Spirit  of  Grod,  and  of  a  saving  conversion. 

"  Thus  I  have  given  a  very  brief  account  of  the  state  and 
progress  of  religion  here,  through  that  first  summer  after  the 
remarkable  revival  of  it  among  us.  Towards  the  end  of 
that  summer,  there  seemed  to  be  a  stop  put  to  the  further 
progress  of  the  work,  as  to  conviction  and  awakening  of 
sinners  ;  and  ever  since  there  have  been  very  few  instances 
of  persons  convinced.  It  remains,  then,  that  I  speak  some- 
thing of  the  abiding  eflfects  and  after  fruits  of  those 
awakenings  and  other  religious  exercises  which  people  were 
under  during  the  above  mentioned  period.  Such  as  were 
only  under  some  slight  impressions  and  superficial  awaken- 
ings, seem  in  general  to  have  lost  them  all  again  without  any 
abiding  hopeful  alteration  upon  them.  They  seem  to  have 
fallen  back  again  into  their  former  carelessness  and  stupidity, 
and  some  that  were  under  pretty  great  awakenings,  and  con- 
siderably deep  convictions  of  their  miserable  state,  seem 
also  to  have  got  peace  again  to  their  consciences  without 
getting  it  by  a  true  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  aifording  no 
satisfying  evidence  of  their  being  savingly  renewed.  But, 
thi-ough  the  infinite  rich  grace  of  Grod  (blessed  be  his 
glorious  name  !)  there  is  a  considerable  number  who  afi'ord 
all  the  evidence  that  can  be  reasonably  expected  and  required 
for  our  satisfaction  in  the  case,  of  their  having  been  the 
subjects  of  a  thorough  saving  change.  Except  in  some 
singular  instances  of  behaviour,  which  alas  !  proceed  from, 
and  show  the  sad  remains  of  original  corruption  even  in  the 
regenerate  children  of  God,  while  in  this  imperfect  state, 
their   walk   is  habitually   tender  and   conscientious,  their 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL     BLAIR.  183 

carriage  towards  their  neighbours  just  and  kind,  and  they 
appear  to  have  an  agreeable  peculiar  love  one  for  another, 
and  for  all  in  whom  appears  the  image  of  God.  Their  dis- 
courses of  religion,  their  engagedness  and  dispositions  of 
soul  in  the  practice  of  the  immediate  duties  and  ordinances 
of  religion,  all  appear  quite  otherwise  than  formerly.  In- 
deed, the  liveliness  of  their  affections  in  the  ways  of  religion 
is  much  abated  in  general,  and  they  are  in  some  measure 
hmubly  sensible  of  this,  and  grieved  for  it,  and  are  carefully 
endeavouring  still  to  live  unto  God,  much  grieved  with  their 
imperfections  and  the  plagues  they  find  in  their  own  hearts  ; 
and  .Vcquently  they  meet  with  some  delightful  enliven ings 
of  soul,  and  particularly  our  sacramental  solemnities  for 
comnmnicating  in  the  Lord's  supper,  have  generally  been 
very  blessed  seasons  of  enlivening  and  enlargement  to  the 
people  of  God.  Thei-e  is  a  very  evident  and  great  increase 
of  Christian  knowledge  with  many  of  them.  AVe  enjoy  in 
this  congregation  the  happiness  of  a  great  degree  of  harmony 
and  concord.  Scarcely  any  have  appeared  with  open  opposi- 
tion and  bitterness  against  the  work  of  God  among  us,  and 
elsewhere  up  and  down  the  land ;  though  there  are  a  pretty 
many  such  in  several  other  places  through  the  country : 
Bonie  indeed  in  this  congregation,  but  very  few  have 
separated  from  us  and  joined  with  the  ministers  who  have 
unhappily  opposed  this  blessed  work. 

"  It  would  have  been  a  great  advantage  to  this  account, 
had  I  been  careful  in  time  to  have  written  down  the  experi- 
ences of  particular  persons ;  but  this  I  neglected  in  the 
proper  season.  However,  I  have  more  lately  noted  down 
an  account  of  some  of  the  soul  exercises  and  experiences  of 
one  person,  which  I  think  may  be  proper  to  make  public  on 
this  occasion.  The  person  is  a  single  young  woman,  but  I 
judge  it  proper  to  conceal  her  name,  because  she  is  yet  liv- 
ing. I  was  very  careful  to  be  exact  in  the  affair,  both  in 
my  conversing  with  her,  and  writing  the  account  she  gave 
me  of  herself  immediately  after.  And  though  I  don't  pre- 
tend to  give  her  very  words  for  the  most  part,  yet  I  am  well 
satisfied  I  don't  misrepresent  what  she  related.  The  ac- 
count then  is  this  :  she  was  first  brought  to  some  solemn 
thouglitfulness  and  concern  about  her  soul's  case,  by  seeing 
others  so  much  concerned  about  their  souls.  AVhen  she  saw 
people  in  deep  distress  about  the  state  of  their  souls,  she 


184  THE     LOG     COLLEGE. 

thouglit  with  herself,  how  unconcenied  she  was  about  her 
own.  And  though  she  thought  that  she  had  not  been  very 
guilty  of  great  sins,  yet  she  feared  she  was  too  little  con- 
cerned about  her  eternal  well-being ;  and  then  the  sermona 
she  heard  made  her  still  uneasy  about  her  case,  so  that 
she  would  go  homo  on  the  Sabbath  evenings  pretty  much 
troubled  and  cast  down ;  which  concern  used  to  abide  with 
her  for  a  few  days  after,  but  still  towards  the  end  of  the 
week  she  would  become  pretty  easy  j  and  then,  by  hearing 
the  word  on  the  Sabbath  days,  her  uneasiness  was  always 
renewed  for  a  few  days  again.  And  thus  it  fared  with  her, 
until  one  day  as  she  was  hearing  a  sermon  preached  from 
Heb.  iii.  15  :  '  To-day  if  you  will  hear  his  voice  harden  not 
your  hearts.'  The  minister,  in  the  sermon,  spoke  to  this 
effect :  '  How  many  of  you  have  been  hearing  the  gospel  for 
a  long  time,  and  yet  your  hearts  remain  always  hard,  with- 
out being  made  better  by  it ;  the  gospel  is  the  voice  of 
God,  but  you  have  heard  it  only  as  the  voice  of  man,  and 
not  the  voice  of  God,  and  so  have  not  been  benefited  by  it.' 
These  words  came  with  power  to  her  heart.  She  saw  that 
this  was  her  very  case ;  and  she  had  an  awful  sense  of  the 
sin  of  her  misimprovement  of  the  gospel,  of  her  stupidity, 
hardness,  and  unprofitableness  under  the  hearing  of  the 
word  of  God.  She  saw  that  she  was  hereby  exposed  to 
the  sin-punishing  justice  of  God,  and  so  was  filled  with 
very  great  fear  and  terror ;  but  she  said  there  was  no  other 
sin  at  that  time  applied  to  her  conscience,  neither  did  she 
see  herself  as  altogether  without  Christ. 

*'  This  deep  concern,  on  the  fore-mentioned  account,  stuck 
pretty  close  by  her  afterwards.  There  was  a  society  of  pri- 
vate Christians  to  meet  in  the  neighbourhood,  some  day 
after,  in  the  same  week,  for  reading,  prayer,  and  religious 
conference.  She  had  not  been  at  a  society  of  that  kind  be- 
fore, but  she  longed  very  much  for  the  time  of  their  meet- 
ing then,  that  she  might  go  there ;  and  while  she  was  there 
she  got  an  awful  view  of  her  sin  and  corruption,  and  saw 
that  she  was  without  Clirist,  and  without  grace ;  and  her 
exercise  and  distress  of  soul  was  such,  that  it  made  her  for 
a  while  both  deaf  and  blind  ;  but  she  said  she  had  the  ordi- 
nary use  of  her  understanding,  and  begged  that  Christ 
might  not  leave  her  to  perish,  for  she  saw  that  she  was  un- 
done without  him.     After  this  she  lived  in  bitterness  of 


THE     REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIR.  185 

soul ;  and  at  another  time  she  had  such  a  view  of  her  sin- 
fulness, of  the  holiness  and  justice  of  God,  and  the  danger 
she  was  in  of  eternal  misery,  as  filled  her  with  extreme  an- 
guish, so  that  had  it  not  been  that  she  was  supported  by 
an  apprehension  of  God's  all-sufficiency,  she  told  me  she 
was  persuaded  she  should  have  fallen  immediately  into  de- 
spair. She  continued  for  some  weeks  in  great  distress  of 
spirit,  seeking  and  pleading  for  mercy  without  any  comfort, 
until  one  Sabbath  evening,  in  ii  house  where  she  was  lodged, 
during  the  time  of  a  saeramentul  solemnity,  while  the  family 
were  singing  the  84th  Psalm,  her  soul  conceived  strong 
hopes  of  reconciliation  with  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  and 
she  had  such  apprehensions  of  the  happiness  of  the  heavenly 
state,  that  her  heart  vras  filled  with  joy  unspeakable  and 
full  of  glory.  She  sung  with  such  elevation  of  soul,  as  if 
she  had  sung  out  of  herself,  as  she  expressed  it ;  she  thought 
at  the  time,  it  was  as  if  the  Lord  had  put  by  the  veil  and 
showed  her  the  open  glory  of  heaven ;  she  had  very  en- 
larged views  of  the  sufficiency  of  Christ  to  save ;  she  was 
clearly  persuaded,  to  the  fullest  satisfaction,  that  there  was 
merit  enough  in  him  to  answer  for  the  sins  of  the  most 
guilty  sinner ;  and  she  saw  that  God  could  well  be  recon- 
ciled to  all  elect  sinners  in  his  Son  ;  which  was  a  most  rav- 
ishing, delightful  scene  of  contemplation  to  her. 

"  But  while  she  was  in  this  frame,  after  some  time,  she 
thought  with  herself  that  notwithstanding  all  this,  yet  she 
could  not  with  the  full  assurance  of  faith  lay  claim  to  the 
Lord  Jesus  as  her  own  Saviour  in  particular.  She  could 
not  say  with  such  full  satisfaction  and  certainty  as  she  de- 
sired, that  he  would  be  a  Saviour  in  particular  to  her;  and 
hence,  for  want  of  thoroughly  understanding  wherein  the 
very  essence  of  saving  faith  consists,  she  had  some  jealous 
fear  that  she  was  not  yet  brought  truly  to  believe  in  Christ. 
However,  she  was  pretty  free  from  her  former  terrors  after 
this  sweet  interview.  But  after  some  some  time,  she  grew 
more  disconsolate,  and  more  sensibly  afraid  of  her  state,  on 
the  forementioned  account.  She  heard  that  sinners  iu 
closing  with  Christ  by  faith,  received  him  for  their  Saviour, 
which  she  thought  included  in  it  a  persuasion  that  he  was 
theirs  in  particular,  and  she  could  not  clearly  say  that  this 
had  ever  been  her  case ;  and  so  she  came  awfully  to  suspect 
herself  to  be  as  yet  an  unbeliever ;  and  though  she  came  in 
16* 


186  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

time  to  tliat  sweet  plerophory,  and  full  assurance  of  faith, 
yet  she  has  since  seen  her  mistake  in  that  matter  about  the 
nature  of  a  true  and  saving  faith.  She  continued  very  much 
under  those  grievous  dejections  for  about  two  years,  and  yet 
enjoyed  considerable  sweetness  and  comfort  at  times.  She 
often  came  to  hear  sermons  with  a  desire  to  get  clearly  con- 
vinced of  her  being  yet  in  a  Christless  state,  and  with  a 
formed  resolution  to  take  and  apply  to  herself  what  might 
be  said  in  the  sermon  to  the  unconverted ;  but  most  com- 
monly she  returned  very  agreeably  disappointed.  She  would 
generally  hear  some  mark  of  grace,  some  evidence  of  a  real 
Christian  laid  down,  which  she  could  lay  claim  to,  and  could 
not  deny ;  and  thus  she  was  supported  and  comforted  from 
time  to  time.  During  these  two  years,  it  was  still  with 
much  fear  and  perplexity  that  she  adventured  to  commu- 
nicate in  the  Lord's  supper,  but  she  could  not  omit  it;  and 
she  always  found  some  refreshing  and  sweetness  by  that 
ordinance. 

"  After  she  had  been  so  long  under  an  almost  alternate 
succession  of  troubles  and  supports,  the  Sun  of  Righteous- 
ness at  last  broke  out  upon  her,  to  the  clear  satisfaction  and 
unspeakable  ravishment  of  her  soxil,  at  a  communion  table. 
There  her  mind  was  let  into  the  glorious  mysteries  of  re- 
demption with  great  enlargement.  While  she  meditated  on 
the  sufferings  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  she  thought  with  herself, 
be  was  not  merely  a  man  who  suffered  so  for  sinners,  but 
infinitely  more  than  man,  even  the  most  high  God,  the  eter- 
nal Son,  equal  with  the  Father ;  and  she  saw  his  being  God, 
put  an  infinite  lustre  and  value  upon  his  sufferings  as  man  ; 
her  heart  was  filled  with  a  most  unutterable  admiration  of 
his  person,  his  merit,  and  his  love;  she  was  enabled  to  be- 
lieve in  him  vpith  a  strong  self-evidencing  faith ;  she  be- 
lieved that  he  had  suffered  for  her  sins ;  that  she  was  the 
very  person  who  by  her  sins  had  occasioned  his  sufferings, 
and  brought  agony  and  pain  upon  him.  The  consideration 
of  this  filled  her  with  the  deepest  abhorrence  of  her  sins, 
and  most  bitter  grief  for  them ;  she  said  she  could  have 
desired  with  all  her  heart  to  have  melted  and  dissolved  her 
body  quite  away  in  that  very  place,  in  lamentation  and 
mourning  over  her  sins.  After  this  enjoyment,  her  soul 
•was  generally  delighting  in  God,  and  she  had  much  of  the 
light  of  his  countenance  with  her ;   and  oh  !  her  great  con- 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    BLAIR.  187 

ccrn  still  was,  how  she  might  live  to  the  Lord,  how  she 
might  do  anything  for  him,  and  give  honour  to  him.  The 
Lord  condescended  to  be  much  with  her  by  his  enlivening 
and  comforting  presence,  and  especially  sacramental  seasons 
were  blessed  and  precious  seasons  to  her.  At  one  of  those 
occasions  she  was  in  a  sweet  frame,  meditating  on  the  blood 
and  water  that  issued  from  the  wound  made  by  the  spear  in 
her  Saviour's  side.  She  thought,  as  water  is  of  a  purifying, 
cleansing  nature,  so  there  was  sanctifying  virtue  as  well  as 
justifying  merit  in  the  Lord  Jesus ;  and  that  she  could  no 
more  be  without  the  water,  his  sanctifying  grace  to  cleanse 
her  very  polluted  soul,  than  she  could  be  without  his  blood 
to  do  away  her  guilt;  and  her  heart  was  much  taken  up 
with  the  beauty  and  excellency  of  sanctification.  At  an- 
other time,  a  communion  solemnity  likewise,  she  was  very 
full  of  delight  and  wonder  with  the  thoughts  of  electing  love  ; 
how  that  God  had  provided  and  determined  so  great  things 
for  her  before  ever  she  had  a  being.  And  a  very  memora- 
ble enjoyment  she  had  at  another  time,  on  Monday  after  a 
communion  Sabbath,  when  these  words  came  to  her  mind, 
'  The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come,  and  let  him  that  is 
athirst  come,  and  whosoever  will  let  him  take  the  water  of 
life  freely.'  The  glory  and  delight  let  in  upon  her  soul  by 
these  words  was  so  great  that  it  quite  overcame  her  bodily 
frame.  She  said  it  seemed  to  her  that  she  was  almost  all 
spirit,  and  that  tl^  body  was  quite  laid  by ;  and  she  was 
sometimes  in  hopes  that  the  union  would  actually  break,  and 
the  soul  get  quite  away.  She  saw  much  at  that  time  into 
the  meaning  of  her  Lord  in  those  words,  '  Because  I  live  ye 
shall  live  also.' 

''  Ilespectiug  a  time  of  sickness  she  had,  concerning  which 
I  inquired  of  her,  she  told  me  she  expected  pretty  much  to 
die  then,  and  was  very  joyful  at  the  near  prospect  of  her 
change,  and  sensibly  grieved  to  find  herself  recover  again, 
chiefly  because,  that  while  she  lived  here  she  was  so  frail 
and  sinful,  and  could  do  so  little  for  the  Lord's  honour.  I 
was  with  her  in  the  time  of  that  sickness,  and  indeed,  I 
scarcely  ever  saw  one  appearing  to  be  so  fully  and  sweetly 
satisfied  under  the  afflicting  luijid  of  God ;  she  manifestly 
appeared  to  lie  under  it  with  a  peaceful  serenity  and  divine 
sweetness  in  her  whole  soul.  In  a  word,  her  whole  deport- 
ment in  the  world  bespeaks  much  humility  and  hcavcnliuesa 
of  snirit. 


188  THE    LOG     COLLEGE. 

"  One  of  our  Christian  friends,  a  man  about  fifty  years  of 
age,  was  removed  from  us  by  death  in  the  beginning  of  May 
last,  of  whom  I  can  give  some  broken  imperfect  account, 
which  perhaps  may  be  of  some  use.  His  name  was  Huns 
Kirkpatrick ;  he  was  a  man  of  pretty  good  understanding, 
and  had  been,  I  believe,  a  sober  professor  for  many  years, 
though  he  had  not  been  very  long  in  America.  After  the 
work  of  religion  began  so  powerfully  amongst  us,  I  found,  in 
conversation  with  him,  that  he  believed  it  to  be  a  good  work, 
but  seemed  very  unwilling  to  give  up  his  good  opinion  of 
his  own  case.  He  told  me  of  some  concern  and  trouble  he  had 
been  in  about  his  soul  in  his  younger  years ;  but  yet  the 
case  looked  suspicious  that  he  had  got  ease  in  a  legal  way, 
upon  an  outward  form  of  religion.  At  another  time,  being 
at  his  house,  and  taking  up  a  little  book  that  lay  by  me  on 
the  table,  which  I  found  to  be  '  Mr.  Mather's  Dead  Faith 
Anatomized,  and  Self-justiciary  Convicted,'  he  said  to  me, 
that  was  indeed  a  strange  book  as  ever  he  saw,  and  that 
according  to  that  author,  it  was  a  great  thing  indeed  to  have 
a  right  faith  that  was  true  and  saving,  another  thing  than 
it  was  generally  supposed  to  be ;  or  to  this  purpose.  He 
seemed  to  me  at  that  time  to  be  under  more  fears  about  his 
own  case  than  I  had  observed  in  him  before.  Not  long  after 
this,  as  he  was  hearing  a  sermon  one  day,  the  word  was  ap- 
plied with  irresistible  evidence  and  power  to  his  heart,  so 
that  he  saw  himself  as  yet  in  a  perislj^ng,  undone  case ; 
whereupon  the  distress  and  exercise  of  his  soul  was  so  great, 
that  he  fell  off  the  seat  on  which  he  was  sitting,  and  wept 
and  cried  very  bitterly.  A  little  after  this  he  went  to  Phi- 
ladelphia, at  the  time  of  the  meeting  of  the  Synod,  in  hopes 
that  perhaps  he  might  meet  with  some  benefit  to  his  soul  by 
hearing  the  ministers  preach  there,  or  by  conversing  with 
some  of  them.  He  told  me  afterwards  that  while  he  was 
there,  and  as  he  walked  the  streets,  he  was  unspeakably  dis- 
tressed with  the  view  of  his  miserable  condition,  so  that  he 
could  hardly  keep  his  distress  from  being  publicly  discerned 
vipon  him ;  and  that  he  seemed  sometimes  to  be  even  in  a 
manner  afraid  that  the  streets  would  open  and  swallow  up 
such  a  wretched  creature.  He  told  me  of  his  trouble,  and 
his  very  sweet  relief  out  of  it,  in  a  most  moving  manner, 
under  a  very  fresh  sense  and  impression  of  both ;  -but  the 
particulars  of  his  relief  I  have  quite  forgot. 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIll.  189 

"  He  was  afterwards  chosen  and  set  apart  for  a  ruling 
elder  in  the  congregation.  He  died  of  an  iniposthume,  and 
gradually  wasted  away  for  a  long  time  before  his  death,  and 
was  for  about  two  mouths  entirely  confined  to  his  bed.  He 
told  me  that  for  some  time  before  he  was  laid  bedfast,  he 
had  been  full  of  very  distressing  fears  and  jealousies  about 
his  soul's  state,  and  was  altogether  unsatisfied  about  his 
interest  in  Christ;  but  that  soon  after  he  was  confined  to  his 
bed,  the  Lord  afforded  him  his  comforting  presence,  cleared 
up  his  interest,  and  removed  his  fears.  After  this  he  con- 
tinued still  clear  and  peaceful  in  his  soul,  and  sweetly  and 
wholly  resigned  to  the  Lord's  will  until  death.  AVhile  he 
had  strength  to  speak  much,  he  was  free  and  forward  to  dis- 
course of  God  and  divine  things.  One  time,  as  two  other 
of  our  eldci's  were  with  him,  he  exhorted  them  to  continue 
steadfast  and  faithful  to  God's  truths  and  cause,  for,  he  said, 
if  he  had  a  thousand  souls  he  could  freely  venture  them  all 
upon  the  doctrines  which  had  been  taught  them  in  this  con- 
gregation. One  time  when  I  took  leave  of  him  he  burst  out 
into  tears,  saying,  'I  had  been  the  messenger  of  the  Lord  of 
hosts  to  him,  that  the  Lord  had  sent  to  call  him  out  of  the 
broad  way  of  destruction.'  For  some  days  before  his  decease 
he  could  speak  but  very  little,  but  to  all  appearance,  with  a 
great  deal  of  serenity  and  sweetness  of  soul,  he  fell  asleep  in 
Jesus. 

"  There  have  been  very  comfortable  instances  of  little 
children  among  us.  Two  sisters,  the  one  being  about  seven, 
the  other  about  nine  years  of  age,  were  hopefully  converted 
that  summer,  when  religion  was  so  much  revived  here.  I  dis- 
coursed with  them  both  very  latcl}^,  and  from  their  own 
account,  and  the  account  of  their  parents,  there  appears  to 
have  been  a  lasting  and  thorough  change  wrought  in  them. 
They  speak  of  their  soul  expcj'icnces  with  a  very  becoming 
gravity,  and  apparent  impression  of  the  things  they  speak  of. 

''  The  youngest  was  awakened  by  hearing  the  word 
preached ;  she  told  me  she  heard  in  sermons  that  except 
persons  were  convinced  and  converted,  they  would  surely  go 
to  hell ;  and  she  knew  she  was  not  converted.  This  set  her 
to  praying  with  great  earnestness,  with  tears  and  cries ;  yet 
her  fears  and  distress  continued  for  several  days,  until  one 
time  as  she  was  praying,  her  heart,  she  said,  was  drawn  out 
iu  great  love  to  God ;  and  as  she  thought  of  heaven,  and 


190  THE    LOG    COLLEaE. 

being  with  God,  she  was  filled  with  sweetness  and  delight. 
I  could  not  find  by  her  that  she  had  at  that  time  any  explicit 
particular  thoughts  about  Christ  as  a  Redeemer,  but  she 
suid  she  knew  then  that  Christ  had  died  for  sinners.  She 
told  me  she  often  found  such  delight  and  love  to  God  since, 
as  she  did  then,  and  at  such  times  she  was  very  willing  to 
die  that  she  might  be  with  God;  but  she  said  she  was  some- 
times afraid  yet  of  going  to  hell.  I  asked  her,  '  If  she  was 
troubled  at  any  time  when  she  was  not  afraid  of  going  to 
hell  ?'  She  said  '  yes.'  I  asked  her  *  what  she  was  troubled 
for,  then  ?'  she  said,  '  because  she  had  done  ill  to  God ;' 
meaning  that  she  had  done  evil,  and  sinned  against  God. 
Some  time  after  she  first  found  comfort,  one  night  when  her 
father  and  all  the  rest  of  the  family,  but  her  mother  and 
herself,  were  gone  to  a  private  society,  she  said  to  her 
mother,  *  that  the  people  were  singing  and  praying  where 
her  father  was  gone,'  and  desired  her  mother  to  do  the  same 
with  her ;  aud  after  they  were  gone  to  bed,  '  she  desired  her 
mother  to  sing  some  psalms  which  she  had  by  heart,'  for 
she  said  she  did  not  want  to  go  to  sleep. 

"  Her  sister  was  brought  into  trouble  about  her  soul,  that 
same  summer,  by  sickness.  It  continued  with  her  some 
time  after  her  recovery ;  until  one  day,  coming  home  from 
meeting,  as  she  heard  some  people  speaking  about  Christ 
and  heaven,  her  heart  was  inflamed  with  love  to  Christ. 
She  says,  that  '  when  she  has  Christ's  presence  with  her, 
she  does  not  know  what  to  do  to  get  away  and  be  with  God.' 
Their  parents  told  me,  that  for  a  long  time  they,  seemed  to 
be  almost  wholly  taken  up  in  religion ;  that  no  weather, 
through  the  extremity  of  winter,  would  hinder  them  from 
going  out  daily  to  by-places  for  secret  prayer ;  and  if  any- 
thing came  in  the  way  that  they  could  not  get  out  for 
prayer,  at  such  times  as  they  inclined  and  thought  most 
proper,  they  would  weep  and  cry.  Their  parents  say  they 
are  very  obedient  children,  and  strict  observers  of  the  Sab- 
bath. 

"  There  are  likewise  other  young  ones  in  the  place,  of 
whom  I  know  nothing  to  the  contrary,  but  that  they  con- 
tinue hopeful  and  religious  to  this  day. 

''  This  blessed  shower  of  divine  influences  spread  very 
much  through  this  province  that  summer;  and  was  like- 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIR.  191 

wise  considerable  in  some  other  places  bordering  upon  it. 
The  accounts  of  some  ministers  being  something  distin- 
guished by  their  searching,  awakening  doctrine,  and  solemn, 
pathetic  manner  of  address,  and  the  news  of  the  effects  of 
their  preaching  upon  their  hearers,  seemed  in  some  mea- 
sure to  awaken  people  through  the  country  to  consider 
their  careless  and  formal  way  of  going  on  in  religion,  and 
very  much  excited  their  desires  to  hear  "those  ministers. 
There  were  several  vacant  congregations  without  any  set- 
tled pastors,  which  earnestly  begged  for  their  visits;  and 
several  ministers  who  did  not  appear  heartily  to  put  their 
shoulder  to  help  in  carrying  on  the  same  work,  yet  then 
yielded  to  the  pressing  importunities  of  their  people,  in  in- 
viting those  brethi-en  to  preach  in  their  pulpits;  so  that 
they  were  very  much  called  abroad,  and  employed  in  inces- 
sant labours,  and  the  Lord  wrought  with  them  mightily. 
Very  great  assemblies  would  ordinarily  meet  to  hear  them, 
on  any  day  of  the  week ;  and,  oftentimes,  a  surprising 
power  accompanying  their  preaching,  was  visible  among  the 
multitudes  of  their  hearers.  It  was  a  very  comfortable,  en- 
livening time  to  Grod's  people ;  and  great  numbers  of  secure, 
careless  professors,  and  many  loose,  irreligious  persons, 
through  the  land,  were  deeply  convinced  of  their  miserable, 
perishing  estates;  and  there  is  abundant  reason  to  believe 
and  be  satisfied,  that  many  of  them  were,  in  the  issue,  sav- 
ingly converted  to  God.  I,  myself,  have  had  occasion  to 
converse  with  a  great  many  up  and  down,  who  have  given 
a  most  agreeable  account  of  very  precious  and  clear  experi- 
ences of  the  grace  of  God.  Several,  even  in  Baltimore,  a 
county  in  the  province  of  Maryland,  who  were  brought  up 
almost  in  a  state  of  heathenism,  without  almost  any  know- 
ledge of  the  true  doctrines  of  Christianity,  afford  very 
satisfying  evidences  of  being  brought  to  a  saving  acquaint- 
ance with  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 

"  Thus,  sir,  I  have  endeavoured  to  give  a  brief  account 
of  the  revival  of  religion  among  us  in  these  parts ;  in 
which  I  have  endeavoured,  all  along,  to  be  conscientiously 
exact  in  relating  things  according  to  the  naked  truth ; 
knowing  that  I  must  not  speak  wickedly,  even  for  God,  nor 
talk  deceitfully  for  him. 

"And,   upon   the  whole,   I  must   say  it  is  beyond  all 


192  THE    LOG     COLLEGE. 

dispute  with   me,  and  I  think  it  is  beyond  all  reasonable 
contradiction,  that  God  has  carried  on  a  great  and  glorious 
work  of  his  grace  among  us. 
"  I  am,  Rev.  sir, 

"  Your  very  respectful  son  and  servant, 

"Samuel  Blair. 

"  Rev.  Sir  :-*-Having  an  opportunity  of  obtaining  these 
attestations  before  sending  my  letter  to  you,  I  send  them 
also  along  ;  if  you  please  they  may  be  inserted  in  the  Chris- 
tian History  at  the  end  of  my  account.  S.  B. 

"New  Londonderry,  August  7th,  1744. 
"  We  the  subscribers,  ruling  elders  in  the  congregation 
of  New  Londonderry,  do  give  our  testimony  and  attestation 
to  the  above  account  of  the  revival  of  religion  in  this  con- 
gregation and  other  parts  of  this  country,  so  far  as  the  said 
account  relates  to  things  that  were  open  to  public  observa- 
tion, and  such  thing  as  we  have  had  opportunity  of  being 
acquainted  with.  Particularly,  we  testify,  that  there  has 
been  a  great  and  very  general  awakening  among  the  people, 
whereby  they  have  been  stirred  up  to  an  earnest  uncommon 
concern  and  diligence  about  their  eternal  salvation,  accord- 
ing to  the  above  account  of  it;  and  that  many  give  very 
comfortable  evidence  by  their  knowledge,  declaration  of  ex- 
perience, and  conscientious  practice,  of  their  being  savingly 
changed  and  turned  to  Grod. 

James  Cochran,  John  Smith, 

John  Ramsay,  John  Simson, 

John  Love,  Wm.  Boyd." 

Mr.  Samuel  Blair  was  truly  a  burning  and  a  shining 
light ;  but  like  many  others  of  this  description,  while 
he  warmed  and  enlightened  others,  he  himself  was  con- 
sumed. Though  his  life  was  protracted  beyond  the 
age  attained  by  Davies  and  Brainerd,  yet  he  may 
be  said  to  have  died  young,  for  from  the  inscription  on 
his  tomb  it  appears  that  he  was  only  thirty-nine  years 
and  twenty-one  days  old  w*hen  he  was  taken  away. 
His  remains  lie  in  the  burying  ground  of  Fagg's 
Manor,  where  his  tomb  may  yet  be  seen.  The  whole 
inscription  is : 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIR.  193 

"  Hero  lieth  the  body  of 

The  Rev.    Samuel   Bi.aib, 

"Who  departed  this  life, 

The  5th  day  of  .July,  1751. 

Aged  39  years  and  21  days." 

"  In  yonder  sacred  house  I  spent  my  breath. 
Now  silent,  mouldering,  here  I  lie  in  death  ; 
These  lips  shall  wake  again  and  yet  declare 
A  dread  amen  to  truths  they  published  there." 

Mr.  Blair  was  one  of  the  most  learned  and  profound, 
as  well  as  pious,  excellent,  and  venerable  men  of  his 
day.  His  deep  and  clear  views  as  a  theologian,  are 
suiHciently  evident  from  his  treatise  on  "  Predestina- 
tion,'' where  this  awful  and  mysterious  doctrine  is 
treated  with  the  hand  of  a  master. 

As  a  preacher,  Mr.  Blair  was  very  eminent.  There 
was  a  solemnity  in  his  very  appearance,  which  struck 
his  hearers  with  awe  before  he  opened  his  mouth.  And 
his  manner  of  preaching,  while  it  was  truly  evangelical 
and  instructive,  was  exceedingly  impressive.  He  spoke 
as  in  the  vieAV  of  eternity,  as  in  the  immediate  pres- 
ence of  God.  The  opinion  which  Mr.  Davics  en- 
tertained of  Mr.  Blair  as  a  preacher,  may  be  learned 
from  an  anecdote  received  from  Dr.  Rodgers,  by  the 
late  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Miller :  "  When  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Davies  returned  from  Europe,  his  friends  were  curious 
to  learn  his  opinion  of  the  celebrated  preachers  whom 
he  had  heard  in  England  and  Scotland.  After  deahng 
out  liberal  commendations  on  such  as  he  had  most  ad- 
mired, he  concluded  by  saying  that  he  had  heard  no 
one  who,  in  his  judgment,  was  superior  to  his  former 
teacher,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Blair." 

Mr.  Blair  was  intimately  associated  with  Mr.  Gil- 
bert Tennent  in  all  his  controversies  Avith  the  Synod 
of  Philadelphia.  He  concurred  in  all  the  proceedings 
of  the  New  Brunswick  Presbytery,  in  which  they  acted 
in  opposition  to  the  rule  of  the  Synod,  requiring  can- 
didates to  be  examined  by  a  committee  of  their  appoint- 
ment, and  in  preaching  within  the  bounds  of  settled 
congregations,  where  the  people  requested  it.  He  also 
17 


194  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

united  with  Mr.  Tennent  in  presenting  to  the  Synod 
complaints  against  the  members  of  that  body,  by  which 
proceedings  the  minds  of  the  majority  of  the  Synod 
were  so  exasperated  that  they  introduced  a  solemn 
protest  against  the  New  Brunswick  brethren,  Avhich 
led  to  an  immediate  separation  of  the  parties,  a  schism 
which  continued  seventeen  years  before  it  could  be 
healed,  as  has  been  already  related.  To  ascertain,  at 
this  time,  which  of  the  parties  were  most  to  blame  in 
these  unhappy  controversies  and  divisions,  is  not  easy. 
Faults  undoubtedly  there  were  on  both  sides.  The 
Old  Side  were  much  to  blame  in  setting  themselves  in 
opposition  to  the  revival  of  religion  which  had  so  glo- 
riously commenced.  By  doing  so,  they  incurred  a 
fearful  responsibility.  That  Tennent  and  Blair  trans- 
gressed the  rules  of  order  cannot  be  denied.  They 
disobeyed  the  Synod,  and  entered  into  the  congrega- 
tions of  their  brethren  without  their  consent.  Whether 
in  these  things  they  were  excusable,  will  depend  upon 
the  true  state  of  the  churches  at  that  time.  Our  Sa- 
viour and  his  apostles  disregarded  the  orders  of  the 
priests  and  of  the  synagogue.  And  Luther  and  the 
other  reformers  did  not  feel  themselves  bound  by  the 
authority  of  the  popish  magistracy  and  priesthood. 
Every  minister  holds  a  commission  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel to  every  creature  to  whom  he  can  gain  access,  and 
if  a  certain  number  of  people,  who  are  anxious  to  hear 
the  gospel,  happen  by  human  arrangements  to  be  cir- 
cumscribed within  the  limits  of  a  parish  over  which 
another  has  charge ;  and  if  this  nominal  pastor  is  be- 
lieved not  so  to  preach  the  gospel  as  to  lead  the  people 
in  the  way  of  salvation,  why  may  not  the  faithful 
preacher  disregard  these  human  arrangements  intended 
to  promote  order,  and  carry  the  gospel  to  those  who 
are  thirsting  for  the  word  of  life  ?  No  doubt  the  prin- 
ciple is  liable  to  great  abuse,  and  may  occasion  great 
disorder,  :ind  result  in  much  more  evil  than  good.  The 
question  in  regard  to  these  devoted  men  is,  Avhether 
the  people  in  the  congregations  of  their  opponents 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    BLAIR.  195 

were  really  in  such  a  perishing  condition  as  would 
authorize  them  to  overleap  the  fence,  which,  for  the 
sake  of  order,  had  heen  set  up.  And  this  is  the  point 
which,  in  my  oj)inion,  we  arc  incapable  of  deciding. 
Men  may  continue  to  maintain  in  theory  an  orthodox 
creed,  and  yet  may  manifest  such  deadly  hostility  to 
vital  piety  that  they  must  be  considered  the  enemies 
of  the  cause  of  God  and  the  work  of  the  Spirit.  That 
the  opposers  of  the  revival,  at  that  time,  did  exhibit 
such  a  character  cannot  be  asserted  universally,  for 
some  of  them  appear  to  have  been  in  the  main  sincere 
Christians,  and  only  meant  to  set  themselves  in  oppo- 
sition to  those  opinions  and  practices  connected  with 
the  revival,  which  were  reprehensible. 

But  that  many  of  those  of  the  Old  Side  manifested 
a  malignity  of  spirit  against  the  revival,  Avhich  was 
wicked  in  the  extreme,  I  entertain  no  doubt.  I  have 
heard  so  much  from  aged  persons  who  were  living  in 
the  midst  of  the  revival ;  and  even  the  subjects  of  it 
have  given  me  such  accounts  of  the  malign  spirit  with 
which  the  whole  work  was  ridiculed  and  opposed  by 
many,  that  I  cannot  doubt,  that,  in  a  good  degree,  the 
contest  between  the  parties,  was  between  the  friends 
and  the  enemies  of  true  religion.  And  somcthinf:  of 
the  same  spirit  of  hostility  to  revivals  was  handed  down 
to  our  own  times.  I  have  known  men  of  hi<rh  staudin<r 
in  the  church,  and  undoubted  learning,  who  derided 
every  account  of  revivals,  and  sudden  conversions,  as 
fanatical  and  foolish.  It  is,  therefore,  my  deliberate 
opinion,  that  in  the  general,  the  Tenncnts  and  Blairs, 
and  their  coadjutors,  were  men  approved  of  God,  and 
greatly  honoured  as  the  instruments  of  winning  many 
souls  to  Christ,  while  their  opponents  were  for  the 
most  part,  unfriendly  to  vital  piety. 

But  while  I  consider  the  ministers  of  the  New- 
Brunswick  Presbytery,  and  their  coadjutors,  as  the  real 
friends  and  successful  promoters  of  true  religion  in 
this  land,  I  do  not  mean  to  exonerate  them  from  all 
blame.     They  were  men,  and  liable  to  human  imper- 


196  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

fections.  Some  of  them  were  men  of  ardent  tempera- 
ment, and  somewhat  overbearing  disposition;  and 
under  the  influence  of  a  fervid  zeal,  they  did  and  said 
many  unadvised  things.  When  the  state  of  the  church 
became  more  settled,  and  the  warmth  of  their  feelings 
had  subsided,  they  themselves  vicAved  matters  in  a  very 
diftereut  light  from  what  they  had  done  in  the  heat  of, 
the  controversy. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


THE    REV.    JOHN    BLAIR. 


Education — First  settlement — Driven  away  by  the  Indians — Is  called  to 
Fagg's  Manor — Continues  the  school — Elected  Professor  of  Theology 
in  Nassau  Hall — Resigns  on  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Witherspoon — Removes 
to  Orange  County,  N.  Y. — His  end — The  family  of  the  Blairs. 

The  Rev.  John  Blair  was  a  yoitnger  brother  of 
the  person  whose  memoir  is  given  in  the  preceding 
chapter.  He  was  also  an  alumnus  of  the  Log  College, 
and  as  a  theologian  was  not  inferior  to  any  man  in  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  his  day.  He  was  first  settled 
in  Pennsylvania,  at  Big  Spring  (now  Newville)  in  the 
Cumberland  Valley,  in  the  vicinity  of  Carlisle.  But 
by  reason  of  the  hostile  incursion  of  the  Indians,  his 
people  were  obliged  to  leave  their  rude  habitations  on 
the  frontier,  and  to  retreat  into  the  more  densely  popu- 
lated part  of  the  colony.  Mr.  Blair,  it  would  seem, 
never  returneil  to  the  place  whence  he  had  been  driven 
by  the  invasion  of  the  savages,  but  upon  the  decease 
of  his  brother  Samuel,  he  received  antl  accepted  a  call 
to  be  his  successor,  at  Fagg's  Manor;  and  that  not 
only  as  pastor  of  the  church,  but  also  as  the  teacher 
of  the  school  which  his  brother  had  instituted  in  that 
place.  In  this  important  station  he  continued  for  nine 
years  ;  and  though  not  ecjual  to  his  brother  as  an  im- 
pressive preacher,  as  a  scholar  and  as  a  theologian  he 
was  not  inferior. 

New  Jersey  College  having  been  founded  for  the 
very  purpose  of  giving  a  complete  education  to  candi- 
dates for  the  ministry,  these  academies,  which  had 
done  so  much  for  the  church,  no  longer  had  the  same 
17*  (197) 


198  THE   LOG    COLLEGE. 

importance  as  Avhen  no  sucli  institution  existetl.  Ac- 
cordingly, not  only  did  the  Log  College,  at  Nesliaminy, 
which  was  the  mother  institution,  cease  as  soon  as  the 
college  was  erected,  but  the  celebrated  school  at  Not- 
tingham was  not  continued  after  Dr.  Finlcy  Avas  chosen 
president  of  Nassau  Ilall.  And  when  Dr.  Finley  died, 
a  sum  of  money  having  been  left  for  the  support  of  a 
professo]?  of  divinity,  Mr.  John  Blair  was  elected  pro- 
fessor of  theology  in  the  College  of  New  Jersey.  This 
invitation  he  accepted,  and  removed  to  Princeton.  He 
was  also  appointed  vice  president  of  the  college,  and 
until  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Witherspoon  performed  all 
the  duties  of  president. 

The  funds  of  the  college  not  being  adequate  to  sup- 
port a  professor  of  theology  distinct  from  the  president, 
and  it  being  known  that  Dr.  Witherspoon  was  an  or- 
thodox and  eminent  theologian,  who  could  consistently 
with  his  other  duties  teach  theology,  Mr.  Blair  judged 
it  would  be  expedient  for  him  to  resign.  Upon  this 
he  received  a  call  to  settle  as  pastor  of  a  Presbyterian 
congregation  in  Wallkill,  Orange  county.  New  York. 
Here  he  continued  to  labour  in  the  duties  of  the  min- 
istry until  he  was  called  away  from  the  field  by  death, 
which  occurred  Dec.  S,  1771,  in  his  52d  year.* 

The  character  of  Mr.  John  Blair  is  thus  drawn,  by 
a  writer  of  a  sketch  of  his  life  in  the  Assembly's 
Magazine:" 

"  John  Blair,  an  eminent  minister  of  Pennsylvania,  was 
ordained  to  the  pastoral  charge  of  three  congregations  iu 
Cumberland  county,  as  early  as  1742.     These  were  frontier 


*  The  following  is  the  inscription  on  his  tomb-stone : 

"Hero  lie  interred  the  remains  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jolui  Blair,  A.  ]M,,\Yho 
departed  this  life  December  G,  1771,  in  the  52d  yeiir  of  liis  age. 

"  He  was  a  gentleman  ef  a  masterly  genius.  A  good  seholar,  an  excellent 
divine.  A  very  judicions,  instructive,  nud  solemn  preacher.  A  laborious 
and  successful  minister  of  Christ.  An  eminent  Christian.  A  man  of  great 
prudence — and  a  briglit  example  of  every  social  virtue. 

"  He  was  some  time  Vice  President  of  Nassau  Hall,  and  Professor  of  Di- 
vinity in  the  Colk'gc  of  New  Jersey,  which  places  he  filled  with  fidelity 
and  roimtation.  lie  lived  greatly  beloved,  and  died  uui verbally  lamented.'' 


THE    HEV.     JOHN    BLAIR,  199 

Bcttlcmonts  und  exposed  to  the  depredation  of  the  Indians, 
with  whom  a  state  of  war  then  existed,  and  ho  was  obliged 
to  remove.  He  accepted  a  call  from  Fagg's  Manor  in 
1757.  The  congregation  had  been  favoured  with  the 
ministry  of  his  brother,  Samuel  Blair.  And  here  he  con- 
tinued about  nine  years ;  and  besides  discharging  the  duties 
of  the  ministry,  he  superintended  also  a  flourishing  gram- 
mar-school, and  prepared  many  young  men  for  the  ministry. 
When  the  presidency  of  New  Jersey  College  became  vacant, 
by  the  death  of  Dr.  Finley,  he  was  chosen  professor  of 
divinity,  and  had  for  some  time  the  charge  of  that  seminary 
before  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Witherspoon. 

*'  He  was  a  judicious  and  persuasive  preacher,  and  through 
his  exertions  .sinners  were  converted,  and  the  children  of 
God  edified.  Fully  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  doctrines 
of  grace,  he  addressed  immortal  souls  with  that  warmth  and 
power  which  left  a  witness  in  every  bosom.  Though  he 
sometimes  wrote  his  sermons  in  full,  yet  his  common  mode 
of  preaching 'was  by  short  notes,  comprising  the  general 
outlines.  His  labours  were  too  abundant  to  admit  of  more ; 
and  no  more  was  necessary  to  a  mind  so  richly  stored  with 
the  great  truths  of  religion.  For  his  large  family  he 
amassed  no  fortune,  but  he  left  them  what  was  infinitely 
better,  a  religious  education,  a  holy  example,  and  prayers 
which  have  been  remarkably  answered.  His  disposition 
was  uncommonly  patient,  placid,  benevolent,  disinterested, 
and  cheerful.  He  was  too  mild  to  indulge  bitterness  or 
severity ;  and  he  thought  that  the  truth  required  little  else 
but  to  be  fairly  stated  and  properly  understood.  Those  who 
could  not  relish  the  savour  of  his  piety,  loved  him  as  an 
amiable,  and  revered  him  as  a  great  man.  Though  no 
bigot,  he  firmly  believed  that  the  Presbyterian  form  of 
government  is  most  Scriptural,  and  the  most  favourable  to 
religion  and  happiness. 

"  In  his  last  sickness,  he  imparted  his  advice  to  the  con- 
gregation, and  represented  to  his  family  the  necessity  of  an 
interest  in  Christ.  A  few  nights  before  he  died^  he  said, 
'  Directly  I  am  going  to  glory — my  Master  calls  me,  I 
must  be  gone.'  " 

Mr.  John  Blair  left  behind  him  a  treatise  on  Re- 
generation, which  is  ably  written  and  entirely  ortho- 
dox.    He  also  published  a  treatise  on  the  Scriptural 


200  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

terms  of  admission  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  in  which  he 
maintains  that  ministers  and  church  officers  have  no 
more  authority  to  debar  from  the  Lord's  table  those 
who  desire  to  attend,  than  from  any  other  duty  of 
God's  worship.  This  piece  the  late  Rev.  J.  P.  Wilson, 
D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  first  Presbyterian  church,  Phila- 
delphia, had  republished  in  a  small  selection  of  treatises 
on  the  Lord's  Supper ;  from  which  it  may  be  inferred, 
that  he  approved  the  sentiments  Avhich  it  contains. 
.  It  is  always  gratifying  to  a  laudable  curiosity  to 
learn  something  respecting  the  families  and  descendants 
of  men  once  eminent  in  the  church,  although  in  the 
pursuit  of  this  knowledge  we  often  meet  with  mortify- 
ing instances  of  a  sad  degeneracy.  But  when  it  is 
otherwise,  it  is  always  pleasing  to  the  pious  mind  to  be 
able  to  trace  eminent  piety  and  talents  descending  from 
generation  to  generation.  Two  of  the  sisters  of  Samuel 
and  John  Blair  were  married  to  distinguished  ministers 
of  the  Presbyterian  church ;  the  one  to  the  Rev.  John 
Carmichacl,  pastor  of  the  church  at  the  Forks  of  Bran- 
dywine,  who  was  also  an  eminent  patriot  in  the  strug- 
gle of  this  country  for  independence.  The  other  was 
married  to  the  Rev.  Robert  Smith,  D.  D.,  of  Pequea, 
the  father  of  three  ministers  who  were  eminent  in  the 
Presbyterian  church,  and  two  of  them  distinguished 
presidents  of  literary  institutions.  .The  Rev.  Doctor 
Samuel  S.  Smith  was  the  first  president  of  Hampden 
Sidney  College  in  Virginia,  and  then  the  immediate 
successor  of  Dr.  Witherspoon  as  president  of  New 
Jersey  College.  The  other,  the  Rev.  John  B.  Smith, 
D.  D.,  succeeded  his  brother  as  president  of  Hamp- 
den Sidney,  and  w^as  afterwards  the  first  president 
of  Union  College  in  Schenectady.  He  was  an  elo- 
quent, evangelical,  and  successful  minister.  Under  his 
ministry  in  A'^irginia  commenced  a  powerful  and  ex- 
tensive revival,  the  influence  of  which  extended  far  and 
wide  througli  that  state,  and  also  to  North  Carolina 
and  Kentucky.  Mr.  William  Smith,  the  third  son,  was 
a  pious,  judicious  minister,    less    distinguished  than 


THE    REV.    JOHN    BLAIR  201 

either  of  his  brothers ;  but  his  good  okl  father  was  wont 
to  say,  that  though  William  was  inferior  to  his  brothers 
in  learning  and  eloquence,  yet  to  comfort  and  edify  the 
plain  Christian,  he  was  equal  to  cither  of  them.  The 
Kev.  Samuel  Blair,  of  Fagg's  Manor,  had  a  son  of  the 
same  name,  who  Avas  considered  the  most  accomplished 
and  promising  young  minister  in  the  Presbyterian 
church.  He,  at  an  early  age,  received  a  call  to  be  col- 
league with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Sewall,  in  the  old  South 
church,  Boston.  Before  he  was  licensed,  he  had  for 
some  time  acted  as  a  tutor  in  his  alma  mater.  The 
estimation  in  which  he  was  held  by  the  trustees  of  the 
college  may  be  learned  from  the  fact,  that  after  Dr. 
Witherspoon  had  declined  the  first  invitation  of  the 
board,  young  Mr.  Blair  was  elected  president,  before 
he  was  thirty  years  of  age.  But  soon  after  his  elec- 
tion, intelligence  was  received  from  Scotland,  that  if 
the  call  were  repeated.  Dr.  Witherspoon  would,  in  all 
probability  accept  the  invitation.  As  soon  as  this  was 
known  to  Mr.  Blair,  he  immediately  wrote  to  the  presi- 
dent of  the  board,  declining  the  office.  This  prompt 
and  generous  decision  freed  the  trustees  from  all  the 
embarrassment  in  which  otherwise  they  might  have 
been  involved.  Of  course,  the  election  of  Mr.  Blair 
could  not  have  been  known  to  Dr.  Witherspoon,  when 
he  signified  his  willingness  to  accept  the  appointment ; 
and  when  he  understood  from  what  motives  INIr.  Blair 
had  declined  the  office,  he  was  much  aft'ectcd  with  the 
disinterestedness  of  the  young  man,  and  often  spoke  of 
it  with  admiration. 

But  thouffh  the  mornin'ii;  of  Mr.  Blair's  life  was  so 
bright,  and  promised  so  much  to  the  church,  the  san- 
guine hopes  of  his  friends  were  far  from  being  realized 
in  his  future  usefulness.  By  being  shipwrecked  on 
his  way  to  Boston,  he  was  much  exposed,  and  to  this 
was  attributed  the  decline  of  his  health  and  spirits. 
He  also  lost  at  this  time  the  whole  of  his  manuscript 
sermons,  a  loss  which  could  not  be  suddenly  repaired, 
and  which  ali'ected  his  spirits  not  a  little.     He  there- 


202  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

fore  did  not  remain  long  in  Boston,  but  returned  to 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  resided  at  the  house  of  his 
father-in-law,  Dr.  Shippen,  in  Germantown,  and  was 
very  little  engaged  in  the  duties  of  his  office  after- 
wards, although  his  life  was  protracted  to  a  good  old 
age.  _  . 

The  writer,  having  spent  several  summers  in  German- 
town  before  Dr.  Blair's  decease,  had  the  opportunity 
of  becoming  well  acquainted  with  him,  and  found  him 
to  be  a  man  of  great  refinement  of  mind,  mild  and 
amiable  in  disposition,  and  friendly  to  evangelical  doc- 
trine and  practical  piety. 

Fi-om  the  history  of  this  popular  young  man  it  may 
be  infei'red,  that  too  much  applause  is  a  dangerous 
thing  to  a  young  minister.  Another  remark  which 
may  be  made  is,  that  for  a  young  man  to  form  a  con- 
nection by  marriage  with  a  rich  and  fashionable  family, 
seldom  works  well  for  his  usefulness  in  the  ministry, 
especially  if  his  partner  is  of  a  gay  and  worldly  dis- 
position. And  lastly,  that  speculation  on  deep  points 
of  theology,  when  the  mind  is  not  under  a  decided 
spiritual  influence,  is  always  attended  with  evil  even  to 
those  who  at  bottom  are  sincerely  pious. 

One  of  the  daughters  of  Samuel  Blair,  sen.,  was 
married  to  a  young  minister  from  Virginia,  the  Rev. 
David  Rice,  and  became  the  mother  of  a  numerous 
progeny,  who  are  now  scattered  through  Virginia  and 
Kentucky,  to  which  last  mentioned  place  Mr.  Rice  re- 
moved, and  on  the  rising  population  of  which  his  evan- 
gelical labours  and  holy  example  left  a  lasting  impres- 
sion. 

Mr.  John  Blair  also  had  a  son  educated  at  Prince- 
ton, NcAv  Jersey,  who  became  a  minister  of  the  gospel. 
He  graduated  in  the  year  1775,  soon  after  which  he 
went  to  the  county  of  Hanover,  in  Virginia,  and  be- 
came the  principal  of  an  academy,  which  had  been 
established  by  tlic  Rev.  Daniel  McCalla.  While  in 
this  office  ho  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  theology, 
without  any  instructor,  and  having   passed  the  usual 


THE    REV.    JOHN    BLAIR.  203 

trials,  to  the  approbation  of  the  Presbytery  of  Hano- 
ver, he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel.  The  acad- 
emy not  prospering  according  to  his  wishes,  Mr.  Blair 
removed  from  Hanover  to  the  city  of  Richmond,  where 
he  taught  a  classical  school  at  his  own  house,  and 
preached  alternately  at  Hanover  meeting-house,  and 
in  the  capitol  in  Richmond.  At  this  time  there  was 
no  Presbyterian  church  in  Richmond ;  but  before  Mr. 
Blair's  death,  and  after  Dr.  Rice  had  collected  a  con- 
gregation and  erected  a  church  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  city,  Mr.  Blair's  hearers  made  an  exertion,  and 
built  a  handsome  church  on  Shockoe  Hill.  He  was  a 
sensible,  pleasant  man,  and  much  respected  by  all  the 
leading  characters  in  the  city  of  Richmond ;  but  he 
possessed  a  moderate  degree  of  religious  zeal,  and  no 
considerable  fruits  attended  his  ministry,  as  far  as  has 
come  to  our  knowledge. 

Another  son  of  the  Rev.  John  Blair,  also  educated 
at  Princeton,  went  to  Kentucky,  where  it  is  under- 
stood that  he  was  a  respectable  lawyer.  He  was  the 
father  of  Mr.  Blair,  the  well  known  editor  of  a  leading 
political  paper  in  Washington  city. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL   FINLEY,   D.  D. 


Birth  in  Ireland — Emigration  to  America — Education  at  the  Log  Col- 
lege— Becomes  a  popular  Preacher — A  successful  Itinerant^ — Settles  at 
Nottingham,  Maryland — Institutes  a  Classical  School — Eminent  as  a 
Teacher — Distinguished  Scholars— Elected  President  of  New  Jersey 
College — Continues  in  this  station  five  years — Seized  with  a  Liver  Com- 
plaint— Goes  to  Philadelphia  to  consult  Physicians — Dies  there  in  the 
triumphs  of  Faith — Burial- — Writings. 

Dr.  Finley  was  born  in  the  county  of  Armagh,  in 
the  province  of  Ulster,  Ireland,  in  the  year  1715,  and 
was  one  of  seven  sons,  who  were  all  esteemed  pious. 
One  of  his  brothers,  the  Rev.  James  Finley,  was  an 
esteemed  minister  in  the  Presbyterian  church ;  and  al- 
though his  talents  were  very  inferior  to  those  of  his 
brother  Samuel,  yet  he  was  reckoned  to  be  eminently 
pious,  and  continued  laboriously  to  preach  the  gospel 
until  an  advanced  period  of  life.  Ilis  latter  years  he 
spent  in  the  western  part  of  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
died  some  years  before  the  close  of  the  last  century. 
The  writer  remem])crs  to  have  seen  him  at  a  meeting 
of  the  Virginia  Synod,  in  Lexington,  in  the  year  1789. 
He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  who,  amidst  many  hard- 
ships and  privations,  carried  the  gospel  to  the  settlers 
in  the  country  round  about  Pittsburgh;  and  was  the 
companion  and  coadjutor  of  such  men  as  McMillan, 
Joseph  Smith,  Power,  Patterson,  Dod,  Dunlap,  &c. 

The  parents  of  Dr.  Finley  were  of  Scotch  descent, 

and  were  distinguished  for  their  piety.     Finding  their 

son  to   be  of  quick  capacity,  and  fond  of  learning, 

they  resolved  to  give  him  the  best  education  which 

(204) 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    FINLEY.  205 

their  circumstances  would  admit;  and  after  lie  had 
obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  English  education,  he 
was  sent  abroad  some  distance  from  home  to  prose- 
cute his  studies.  In  this  school  he  distinguished 
himself  by  his  assiduity  and  his  proficiency  in 
learning. 

When  he  was  in  his  nineteenth  year,  he  emigrated 
from  his  native  country,  and  came  to  America.  He 
arrived  in  Philadelphia  on  the  28th  of  September,  in 
the  year  1734.  He  appears  to  have  become  a  subject 
of  (livine  grace  at  a  very  early  age.  He  has  been 
heard  to  say,  that  when  only  six  years  old  he  heard  a 
sermon  which  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  mind, 
the  text  of  which  he  never  forgot.  From  that  day  he 
was  seized  with  an  ardent  desire  to  become  a  minister 
of  the  gospel.  As  he  grcAV  up,  this  desire  continued 
to  ripen  and  increase;  so  that  his  purpose  was  early 
formed  to  devote  his  life  to  the  service  of  God.  Upon 
his  coming  to  America,  he  steadily  pursued  his  studies 
with  a  view  to  the  holy  ministry.  As  he  arrived  in 
Philadelphia  at  the  very  time  when  Mr.  Tennent's 
school  was  flourishing  at  Neshaminy,  and  as  there  was 
then  no  other  institution  in  the  Presbyterian  church 
where  young  men  were  trained  for  the  ministry,  there 
is  the  strongest  probability  that  he  was  a  student  at 
the  Log  College.  This  probability  is  strengthened  by 
the  fact,  that  he  put  himself  under  the  care  of  the 
New  Brunsmck  Presbytery,  most  of  the  members  of 
which  were  educated  in  this  school.  His  license  took 
place  on  the  5th  of  August,  in  the  year  1740.  Having 
received  authority  to  preach,  he  itinerated  extensively ; 
and  as  his  pulpit  talents  were  of  a  high  order  of  excel- 
lence, he  was  greatly  instrumental  in  carrying  on  the 
work  of  the  Lord,  Avhicli  at  that  time  prevailed  in  al- 
most every  part  of  the  latid. 

His  labours  in  the  gospel  were  greatly  blessed  in 

AVest   Jersey — in    Deerfield,    Greenwich,    and    Cape 

May.     He  preached  also  for  six  months,  with  great 

acceptance,  in  the  congregation  to  which  Gilbert  Ten- 

18 


206  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

nent  was  afterwards  called  in  Philadelphia.  His 
ordination  took  place  on  the  13th  of  October,  in 
the  year  1742.  He  was  probably  ordained  as  an 
evangelist,  and  continued  to  visit  the  places  destitute 
of  the  stated  means  of  grace  for  several  years;  and  all 
accounts  agree  in  ascribing  much  success  to  his  itin- 
erant labours.  It  was,  probably,  during  this  period 
that  he  made  a  preaching  excursion  into  Connecticut. 
But  so  rigid  were  the  laws  of  this  land  of  steady 
habits,  that  Mr.  Finley,  for  preaching  in  a  congrega- 
tion in  New  Haven,  was  seized  as  a  vagrant  by  the 
civil  authority,  and  carried  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
colony.  He  does  not  appear  to  have  been  permanently 
settled  as  a  pastor  until  June,  1744,  when  he  accepted 
a  call  from  Nottingham,  Maryland.  In  this  place  he 
remained  for  seventeen  years.* 

In  this  place  he  instituted  an  academy,  with  the 
view,  chiefly,  of  preparing  young  men  for  the  gospel 
ministry.  This  school  was  conducted  with  admirable 
wisdom  and  success,  and  acquired  a  higher  reputation 
than  any  other  in  the  middle  colonies,  so  that  students 
from  a  distance  were  attracted  to  it.  Some  of  the 
most  distinguished  men  in  our  country  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  their  eminence  and  usefulness  in  this  academy. 
At  one  time,  there  was  a  cluster  of  such  young  men, 
who  all  were  afterwards  distinguished,  and  some  of 
them  among  the  very  first  men  in  the  country,  as  the 
following  names  well  show  :  Governor  Martin,  of  North 
Carolina;  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  of  Philadelphia,  and 
his  brother,  Jacob  Rush,  an  eminent  and  pious  judge  ; 
Ebenezer  Hazard,  Es(i.,  of  Philadelphia  ;  Rev.  James 
Waddel,  D.  D.,  of  Virginia ;  Rev.  Dr.  McWhorter, 
of  Newark,  N.  J.  ;  Col.  John  Bayard,  speaker  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  ;  Governor  Henry,  of  Mary- 
land, and  the  Rev.  William  M.  Tennent,  of  Abington, 
Pa.  It  would  not  be  easy,  in  any  country,  to  find 
such  a  constellation  in  one  school,  at  the  same  time. 

*  In  Allen's  American  Biography,  his  continuance  here  is  made  to  bo 
only  seven  years;  but  he  went  there  in  1744,  and  removed  in  1761. 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    F  I  N  L  E  Y .  207 

That  Dr.  Finlcy  was  au  accomplished  schohir,  and  a 
skilful  teacher,  was  universally  admitted.  Perhaps 
this  country  has  not  had  better  classical  scholars  formed 
any  where,  than  in  this  school.  The  metliod  of  in- 
struction in  the  Latin  and  Greek  languages,  was 
thorough  and  accurate.  The  scholars  were  carefully 
drilled  in  the  application  of  the  rules  of  syntax,  and  in 
tlic  prosody  of  these  languages.  Dr.  Finley  boarded 
most  of  his  pupils  in  his  own  house,  and  when  they 
were  met  at  meals,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  relaxing  from 
the  severity  of  the  pedagogue,  and  indulging  in  face- 
tious remarks ;  saying,  that  nothing  more  helped 
digestion  than  a  hearty  laugh.  His  own  temper  was 
remarkably  benignant  and  sweet,  and  his  manners 
affable  and  polite. 

Dr.  Finley  had  been  seriously  thought  of  before  Mr. 
Davies  was  called  to  the  presidency  of  Nassau  Hall,  and 
when  Mr.  Davies  at  first  declined  the  invitation,  he 
strongly  recommended  Dr.  Finley.  It  cannot  be  de- 
nied, that  both  in  scholarship,  and  skill  in  teaching,  the 
latter  was  far  superior.  Dr.  Finley  too,  was  a  much 
older  man,  and  had  been  several  years  longer  in  the 
ministry.  But  Davies  was  a  man  of  much  more 
genius  and  eloquence,  and  his  acquaintance  with  Eng- 
lish literature  was  far  more  perfect. 

The  premature  decease  of  so  many  presidents  of 
New  Jersey  College  brought  forward  a  succession  of 
illustrious  men  who  have  ever  since  reflected  honour  on 
that  literary  institution.  Dickinson,  Burr,  Edwards, 
Davies,  and  Finley,  all  filled  the  presidential  chair 
within  five  or  six  years.  Dr.  Finley  Avas  elected  presi- 
dent in  the  year  17G1,  and  immediately  entered  on  the 
duties  of  the  office,  and  the  trustees  were  not  disap- 
pointed in  their  expectations  of  his  wisdom  and  efficiency. 
As  he  was  permitted  to  remain  five  years  in  office,  he 
had  the  opportunity  of  carrying  into  effect  plans  for 
the  improvement  of  the  institution,  so  that  its  reputa- 
tion was  greatly  extended.  Dr.  Finley  held  corres- 
pondence with  some  of  the  learned  men  of  Europe, 


208  THE     LOG     COLLEGE. 

among  wliom  was  Dr.  Samuel  Chandler,  of  London, 
who,  as  appears  by  his  letters,  entertained  a  high  es- 
teem, and  indeed  affectionate  friendship  for  his  distant 
correspondent.  It  was  through  the  influence  of  tliis 
learned  dissenter,  that  without  the  knowledge  of  Mr. 
Finley,  the  degree  of  doctor  of  divinity  was  bestowed 
upon  him  by  the  University  of  Glasgow,  which  seems 
to  have  been  the  first  instance  of  any  Presbyterian 
minister  in  America  receiving  that  honorary  distinc- 
tion. But  if  genius  and  theological  learning  could 
have  commanded  it,  Dickinson,  Burr,  Edwards,  and 
Davies,  would  all  have  been  distinguished  in  the  same 
way.  But  they  need  no  such  appendage  to  their 
names ;  their  works  have  secured  to  them  a  much 
higher  honour  in  the  estimation  of  posterity.  And  it 
must  be  a  mortification  to  many  modest  men  who  bear 
the  title  of  doctor,  that  divines  to  whom  they  are  con- 
scious that  they  are  not  fit  to  be  compared,  lived  and 
died  without  having  their  names  distinguished  by  any 
such  title.  The  disease  by  which  Dr.  Finley's  consti- 
tution was  attacked,  an  obstruction  of  the  liver,  was 
supposed  to  have  been  contracted  by  too  great  as- 
siduity in  his  studies,  and  too  constant  occupation  in 
the  public  duties  of  his  office.  He  did  not  die  at  home, 
but  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  whither  he  had  gone  to 
consult  physicians  respecting  his  disease.  When  in- 
formed by  the  physician  who  attended  him,  that  no- 
thing could  be  done  to  remove  his  malady,  and  that  it 
must  soon  prove  mortal,  he  expressed  an  entire  resig- 
nation to  the  divine  will,  and  from  that  time  was  en- 
gaged in  setting  his  house  in  order.  lie  said,  "  If 
my  work  is  done,  I  am  ready ;  I  do  not  desire  to  live  a 
day  longer  than  I  can  work  for  God."  At  that  time, 
however,  he  did  not  apprehend  that  his  end  was  so  near 
as  it  proved  to  be.  His  disease  made  rapid  progress ; 
and  he  was  informed  by  one  of  his  physicians  that  he 
had  but  a  few  days  to  live,  on  which,  lifting  up  his  eyes 
to  heaven,  he  exclaimed,  "  Then,  welcome,  Lord  Jesus." 
On    the    Sabbath   preceding  his  death,  he  was  in- 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    FINLEY.  209 

formed  by  Dr.  Clarkson,  his  brothcv-in-laAV,  that  he 
perceived  a  manifest  alteration  in  his  appearance,  and 
that  evidently  his  end  was  near.  "  Then,"  said  he, 
"  may  the  Lord  bring  me  near  himself !  I  have  been 
Avaiting  Avith  a  Canaan  hunger  for  the  promised  land. 
I  have  often  wondered  that  God  suffered  me  to  live. 
I  have  more  wondered  that  he  ever  called  me  to  be  a 
minister  of  his  Avord.  He  has  often  afforded  me  much 
strength,  Avhich,  though  I  have  often  abused,  he  re- 
turned in  mercy.  Oh  !  faithful  are  the  promises  of 
God  !  0  that  I  could  see  him  as  I  have  seen  him  in 
the  sanctuary !  Although  I  have  earnestly  desired 
death,  as  the  hireling  pants  for  the  evening  shade,  yet 
will  I  wait  all  the  days  of  my  appointed  time.  I  have 
often  struggled  with  principalities  and  powers,  and 
have  been  brought  almost  to  despair — Lord,  let  it  suf- 
fice !"  Here  he  sat  up,  and  closing  his  eyes,  he 
prayed  fervently  that  God  would  show  him  his  glory 
before  he  should  depart  hence — that  he  would  enable 
him  to  endure  patiently  to  the  end,  and  particularly, 
that  he  might  be  kept  from  dishonouring  the  ministry. 
He  then  resumed  his  discourse,  and  spoke  as  follows, 
"  I  can  truly  say,  I  have  loved  the  service  of  God.  I 
know  not  in  Avhat  language  to  speak  of  my  own  un- 
worthiness ;  I  have  been  undutiful  ;  I  have  honestly 
endeavoured  to  act  for  God,  but  with  much  weakness 
and  corruption."  He  then  lay  down,  but  continued 
to  speak  in  broken  sentences.  "A  Christian's  death," 
said  he,  "  is  the  best  part  of  his  experience.  The  Lord 
has  made  provision  for  the  whole  Avay  ;  provision  for  the 
soul  and  for  the  body.  0,  that  I  could  recollect  Sab- 
bath blessings  !  The  Lord  has  given  me  many  souls 
as  crowns  of  my  rejoicing.  Blessed  be  God,  eternal 
rest  is  at  hand.  Eternity  is  but  long  enough  to  enjoy 
my  God.  This  has  animated  me  in  my  secret  studies. 
I  Avas  ashamed  to  take  rest  here.  0,  that  I  could  be 
filled  Avith  the  fulness  of  God  !  that  fulness  which  fills 
heaven."  Being  asked  Avhether  he  "would  choose  to 
live  or  die,  he  replied,  "to  die — though  I  cannot  but 
18* 


210  THE    LOa    COLLEGE. 

say,  I  feel  the  same  strait  that  Paul  did,  that  he  knew 
not  which  to  choose,  '  for  to  me  to  live  is  Christ,  but 
to  die  is  gain.'  But  should  God,  by  a  miracle,  pro- 
long my  life,  I  would  still  continue  to  serve  him.  His 
service  has  ever  been  sweet  to  me.  I  have  loved  it 
much.  I  have  tried  my  Master's  yoke,  and  will  never 
shrink  my  neck  from  it.  '  His  yoke  is  easy  and  his 
burden  light.'  "  One  said  to  him,  "  You  are  more 
cheerful  and  vigorous,  sir."  "  Yes.  I  rise  or  fall  as 
eternal  life  seems  nearer,  or  further  off."  It  being  re- 
marked, that  he  always  used  the  expression,  "  dear 
Lord,"  in  his  prayers,  he  answered,  "  0,  he  is  very 
dear — very  precious,  indeed.  How  pretty  is  it  for  a 
minister  to  die  on  the  Sabbath — I  expect  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  this  Sabbath  in  heaven."  One  of  the 
company  said,  "  You  will  soon  be  joined  to  the  blessed 
society  of  heaven ;  you  will  for  ever  hold  intercourse 
with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  with  the  spirits 
of  the  just  made  perfect — with  old  friends,  and  many 
old  fashioned  people."  "  Yes,  sir,''  he  replied  with  a 
smile,  "  but  they  are  a  most  polite  people  now."  He 
expressed  great  gratitude  to  friends  around  him,  and 
said,  "  May  the  Lord  repay  you — may  he  bless  you 
abundantly,  not  only  with  temporal,  but  with  spiritual 
blessings  !"  Turning  to  his  wife,  he  said,  "  I  expect, 
my  dear,  to  see  you  shortly  in  glory."*  Dr.  Fiiiley 
seeing  a  member  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  church 
present,  said,  "  I  have  often  preached  and  prayed 
among  you,  my  dear  sir,  and  the  doctrines  I  preached 
to  you  are  now  my  support,  and  blessed  be  God  they 
are  without  a  flaw.  May  the  Lord  bless  and  prosper 
your  church.  He  designs  good  for  it  yet,  I  trust." 
To   a  person  from  Princeton,   he  said,    "  Give  my 

*■  This  hopo,  however,  was  not  realized,  for  Mrs.  Fiuloy  continued  to 
live  many  years  after  her  husband's  decease.  She  was  a  long  time  com- 
pletely blind ;  but  under  this  privation,  manifested  a  pious  and  contented 
disposition  ;  being  entirely  resigned  to  the  will  of  her  Heavenly  Father. 
It  was  an  edifying  and  refreshing  thing  for  any  person  to  pay  a  visit  to 
her  and  her  companion,  Mrs.  Hodge,  with  whom  she  lived.  Their  con- 
versation "was  iudcod  in  heaven. 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    FINLEY.  211 

love  to  the  people  of  Princeton,  and  tell  them  that 
I  am  going  to  die,  and  that  I  am  not  afraid  to  die." 
He  would  sometimes  cry  out,  "  The  Lord  Jesus  will 
take  care  of  his  cause  in  this  world  !"  Upon  awaking 
the  next  morning,  he  exclaimed,  "  Oh  what  a  disap- 
pointment I  have  met  with — I  expected  this  morning 
to  have  been  in  heaven!"  On  account  of  extreme 
weakness,  he  was  unable  to  speak  much  during  this 
day,  but  what  he  did  say  was  the  language  of  triumph. 
The  next  morning,  with  a  pleasing  smile  on  his  coun- 
tenance, he  cried  out,  "  0  I  shall  triumph  over  every 
foe.  The  Lord  hath  given  mo  the  victory.  I  exult — 
I  triumph.  0  that  I  could  see  untainted  purity ! 
Now  I  know  that  it  is  impossible  that  faith  should 
not  triumph  over  earth  and  hell.  "  I  think  I  have 
nothing  to  do  but  to  die.  Yet,  perhaps  I  have — Lord 
show  me  my  task."  He  then  said,  "  Lord  Jesus,  into 
thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit — I  do  it  w^ith  confi- 
dence— I  do  it  Avith  full  assm^ance.  I  know  that  thou 
Avilt  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  to  thee.  I 
have  been  dreaming  too  fast  of  the  time  of  my  depar- 
ture, for  I  find  it  does  not  come  ;  but  the  Lord  is  faith- 
fid,  and  will  not  tarry  beyond  the  appointed  time." 

In  the  afternoon  of  this  day,  the  Kev.  Elihu  Spen- 
cer called  to  see  him,  and  said,  "I  have  come,  dear 
sir,  to  see  you  confirm  by  facts  the  gospel  you  have 
been  preaching.  Pray,  sir,  how  do  you  feel?"  To 
which  he  replied,  "Full  of  triumph  —  I  triumph 
through  Christ.  Nothing  clips  my  wings  but  the 
thoughts  of  my  dissolution  being  prolonged.  0  that 
it  were  to-night !  My  very  soul  thirsts  for  eternal 
rest."  Mr.  Spencer  asked  him  what  he  saw  in  eter- 
nity to  excite  such  vehement  desires.  "I  see,"  said 
he,  "  the  eternal  love  and  goodness  of  God.  I  see 
the  fulness  of  the  Mediator.  I  see  the  love  of  Jesus. 
.  .  .  0  to  be  dissolved,  and  to  be  with  him  !  I  long 
to  be  clothed  with  the  complete  righteousness  of 
Christ."  He  then  desired  Mr.  Spencer  to  pray  with 
him  before  they  parted,  and  said,  "  I  have  gained  the 


212  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

victory  over  the  de\dl.  Pray  to  God  to  preserve  me 
from  evil — to  keep  me  from  dishonouring  his  great 
name  in  this  critical  horn',  and  to  support  me  with  his 
presence  in  my  passage  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death." 

The  remainder  of  the  evening  he  spent  in  taking 
leave  of  his  friends,  and  blessing  and  exhorting  such 
of  his. children  as  were  present.  He  would  frequently 
cry  out,  "  Why  move  the  tardy  hours  so  slow  ?"  The 
next  day  terminated  the  conflict.  He  was  no  longer 
able  to  speak,  but  a  friend  having  desired  him  to  give 
a  token  by  which  it  might  be  known  whether  he  still 
continued  to  triumph,  he  lifted  up  his  hand  and  uttered 
the  word,  "  Yes."  About  nine  o'clock  he  fell  into  a 
profound  sleep,  and  appeared  to  be  much  more  free 
from  pain  than  he  had  been  for  many  days  before. 
He  continued  to  sleep  without  changing  his  position, 
till  about  one  o'clock,  when  he  expired  without  a  sigh 
or  a  groan.  During  his  whole  sickness  he  was  never 
heard  to  utter  a  repining  word,  and  in-  taking  leave 
of  his  dearest  friends,  he  was  never  seen  to  shed  a  tear 
or  to  exhibit  any  sign  of  sorrow.  His  death  occurred 
on  the  16th  of  July,  1760,  in  the  fifty-first  year  of 
his  age. 

It  was  the  purpose  of  Dr.  Finley's  friends  to  have 
his  remains  removed  to  Princeton  and  buried  with 
his  illustrious  predecessors,  who  lie  interred  in  the 
cemetery  of  that  place ;  but  the  heat  of  the  weather 
rendered  it  inconvenient  to  carry  the  body  so  far, 
and  therefore  he  was  buried  by  the  side  of  his  dear 
frieixl,  Gilbert  Tennent,  within  the  Second  Presbyte- 
rian church.  When  this  church  was  enlarged,  the 
remains  of  both  these  venerable  men  were  removed  to 
the  common  burying-ground  of  the  congregation. 
Agreeably  to  his  dying  request,  his  body  was  carried 
to  the  grave  by  eight  members  of  the  senior  class  of 
the  College  of  New  Jersey.  The  Trustees  of  the  Col- 
lege, to  show  their  respect  for  the  deceased,  caused  a 
cenotaph  to  be  erected  in  the  cemetery  of  Princeton, 


THE    REV.     SAMUEL    FINLEY. 


213 


in  a  line  ^-ith  the  tombs  of  the  other  Presidents  whose 
remains  are  there  entombed.  i   ^r  o 

Dr  Finley  was  a  person  of  low  stature,  and  ot  a 
round  and  ruddy  countenance.  In  the  pulpit  he  was 
solemn,  sensible,  and  sententious;  and  sometnn  8 
.lowed  with  fervid  animation.  He  was  remarkable 
for  sweetness  of  temper,  politeness,  and  generosity. 
He  was  also  distinguished  for  diligence  and  punctu- 
ality in  the  performance  of  all  his  duties.  His  ser- 
mons were  rather  solid  than  brilliant;  not  hasty  pro- 
ductions, but  composed  with  care,  and  while  they  weie 
in  a  style  pleasing  to  the  cultivated  mmd,  theyweie, 
at  the  same  time,  intelligible  by  the  i^iterate 

Dr.  Finley  was  twice  married;  first  to  Sai ah  llall, 
by  whom  he  had  eight  children.     She  died  m  the  year 
1760    before  he  left  Nottingham.     IIis  second  ANife 
Cvas  Aim   Clarkson,   daughter  of^Mr    Clarkson    mej. 
chant  of  New  York,  who  was  a  lineal  descendant  ot 
?he  Rev.  David  Chukson,  B.  D.,  one  of  the  two    hou- 
sand  ministers  ejected  for  non-conformity  m  England 
in   the  year  1662.     His   second   wife   survived   him 
forty-one  years.     His   son,  Ebcnczer   Finley,  was   a 
phpician  i  Charleston,    South  Carolma    where   his 
descendants    still   dwell,    and    are    respectable     and 
generally  pious.     One  of  his  daughters  was  mauied 
To  SamuVBreeze,  Es,.,  of  &!;--  ^^  f^j ^^  fh 
Avho  was  the  mother  of  the  wife  ot  the  Bev.  Jedcdiah 

^^Di^F^nley  wrote  no  work  of  any  considerable  size; 
but  published  several  sermons  and  essays,  ^vhich,  how- 
ever!  are  nearly  out  of  print.  In  1741  he  published  a 
s  rmon  on  Matthew  xii.  28,  entitled  "  Christ  Triumph- 
ing and  Satan  Raging."  In  1748,  "A  Refutation  of 
Mr.  Thompson's  Sermon  on  Conviction;  and  in  he 
sameyear,\  treatise  against  the  ^^^^^J^^ 
"Satan  Stripped  of  his  Evangelical  Robe  J-^\^^: 
a  treatise  against  the  Antipedobaptism  of  Abel  Moi- 
gan,  entitled  "A  Blea  for  the  ^Pee^Wess  And  m 
174<>  he  published  a  sermon,  preached  at  the  oidina- 


21.4  THE    LOG     COLLEGE. 

tion  of  tlie  Rev.  Dr.  Rodgers,  at  St.  George's,  March, 
1749;  also,  a  "Sermon  on  the  Death  of  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Davies,"  his  predecessor  in  the  college,  which 
is  prefixed  to  most  editions  of  Davies's  Sermons;  to 
which  may  he  added,  "A  Sermon  occasioned  by  the 
Death  of  the  Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent,"  preached  in  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia. 

It  would  be  desirable,  if  we  had  the  materials,  to 
give  a  history  of  the  flourishing  and  important  academ- 
ical institutions  which  arose  out  of  the  L02;  College, 
and  which  were  conducted  on  the  same  principles,  and 
with  the  same  views,  by  men  who  had  received  their 
education  in  that  school.  And  it  would  be  gratifying 
to  our  readers,  we  doubt  not,  if  we  were  to  annex  some 
biographical  account  of  the  eminent  m.en  who  pro- 
ceeded from  these  academies  prior  to  the  erection  of 
the  College  of  New  Jersey.  Such,  for  example,  as 
the  Rev.  Samuel  Davies,  the  Rev.  John  Rodgers,  D.  D., 
the  Rev.  Dr.  McWhorter,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gumming,  and 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Waddel ;  but  this  would  carry  us  much 
beyond  our  prescribed  limits,  and  in  regard  to  several 
of  the  most  distinguished  of  the  persons  mentioned, 
would  lead  us  over  ground  which  has  already  been 
occupied  by  abler  hands. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


THE    REV.    WM.    RODINSON. 


An  Englishman — Occasion  of  his  Emigration— Teaches  in  New  Jersey 
and  in  Delaware — Is  converted — Joins  the  Presbyterians — Studies  at 
the  Log  College — Seeks  out  the  Destitute — Taken  up  in  Virginia — Vis- 
its Cub  Creek — Conversion  of  David  Austin — Sent  for  to  Hanover — 
Extraordinary  religiou>'  nwakcning — Success  of  his  labours — Mr.  Da- 
vies's  Letter  to  Mr.  Bellamy — Preaches  in  New  York  with  his  wonted 
success — Also  in  Maryland — Died  early. 

Concerning  the  early  history  of  this  successful 
evangelist  very  little  is  known.  The  only  account 
"which  the  writer  has  met  with,  is  that  found  in  a  note 
in  the  "  Life  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Rodgers,"  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Miller.*  It  is  here  stated  "that  Mr.  Robinson 
was  the  son  of  a  wealthy  Quaker  in  England.  Being 
permitted  to  pay  a  visit  of  a  few  weeks  to  an  aunt  in 
the  city  of  London,  from  whom  he  had  considerable 
expectations,  he  greatly  overstayed  the  time  which  had 
been  allowed  him  ;  and  becoming  deeply  involved  in 
the  dissipations  of  the  town,  he  incurred  large  debts, 
which  he  knew  his  father  would  never  pay,  and  which 
his  aunt  refused  to  discharge.  In  this  situation,  fear- 
ing to  return  home,  and  unable  to  remain  longer  in 
London,  he  determined  to  quit  his  native  country,  and 
seek  his  fortune  in  x\mcrica.  In  this  determination 
his  aunt  reluctantly  ac(i[uiesced,  and  furnished  him 
with  a  small  sum  of  money  for  the  purpose.  Soon 
after  his  arrival  in  America  he  had  recourse  for  sub- 
sistence to  teaching  a  school  in  New  Jersey,  in  the 

*  Published  by  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication. 

(215) 


216  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

bounds  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick.  He 
had  been  for  some  time  engaged  in  this  business, 
without  any  practical  sense  of  religion,  when  it 
pleased  God  to  bring  him  to  a  knoAvledge  of  himself, 
and  the  way  of  salvation,  in  a  remarkable  manner. 
He  was  riding  at  a  late  hour  one  evening,  when  the 
moon  and  stars  shone  with  unusual  brightness,  and 
when  every  thing  around  him  was  calculated  to  excite 
reflection.  While  he  was  meditating  on  the  beauty 
and  grandeur  of  the  scene  which  the  firmament  presen- 
ted, and  was  saying  to  himself,  "  How  transcendently 
glorious  must  be  the  Author  of  all  this  beauty  and 
grandeur  !"  the  thought  struck  him  with  the  suddenness 
and  force  of  lightning,  "  But  what  do  I  know  of  this 
God  ?  Have  I  ever  sought  his  favour,  or  made  him 
my  Friend  ?"  This  happy  impression,  which  proved  by 
its  permanency  and  its  effects,  to  have  come  from  the 
.  best  of  all  sources,  never  left  him  until  he  took  refuge 
in  Christ  as  the  hope  and  life  of  his  soul. 

It  appears  from  some  circumstances  of  the  life  of 
the  Rev.  Samuel  Davies,  that  Mr.  Robinson  also 
taught  a  classical  school  in  the  state  of  Delaware  ;  for 
it  is  mentioned  that  Mr.  Davies,  when  a  boy,  was  one 
of  his  pupils  ;  and  his  parents,  we  know,  resided  in 
the  state  of  Delaware. 

After  Mr.  Robinson's  conversion,  he  determined  to 
devote  his  life  to  the  service  of  God,  in  the  work  of 
the  holy  ministry ;  and  having  fallen  in  with  the  Pres- 
byterians, he  connected  himself  with  that  church  ;  and 
the  uncontradicted  tradition  is,  that  he  pursued  a 
course  of  preparation  for  the  ministry  in  the  Log 
College ;  and,  after  the  usual  trials,  was  licensed  to 
preach  the  gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  Bruns- 
wick ;  and,  after  some  probation,  was  ordained  by 
them  as  an  evangelist. 

Mr.  Robinson,  soon  after  his  ordination,  determined 
to  go  and  visit  the  "  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Is- 
rael;"  that  is,  the  distant  and  dispersed  settlements 
of  Presbyterians  in  the  states  south  of  New  Jersey. 


THE    REV,     WM.     ROBINSON.  217 

The  Presbyterians,  from  the  north  of  Ireland,  between 
the  years  1720  and  1730,  had  come  over  to  America 
in  large  numbers.  They  generally  landed  at  New 
Castle,  or  Philadelphia,  and  then  proceeded  to  the  in- 
terior of  the  country.  On  the  frontier  of  Pennsyl- 
vania they  were  greatly  infested  by  the  hostile  incur- 
sions of  the  Indians,  which  induced  them  to  turn  their 
attention  to  the  western  parts  of  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina.  In  some  instances  whole  congregations, 
driven  from  their  homes  by  the  savages,  removed  in  a 
body,  with  their  ministers,  to  a  region  less  exposed  to 
the  incursions  of  their  murderous  foes. 

The  valley  between  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  North 
mountain — a  fine  lime-stone  farming  country — was  first 
occupied  by  these  Irish  Presbyterians  ;  the  Germans, 
who  now  possess  a  large  part  of  this  fertile  region, 
came  in  afterwards.  In  many  places,  all  along  the 
frontier,  were  small  groups  of  Presbyterians,  who  were 
entirely  destitute  of  the  public  means  of  grace.  To 
these  scattered  sheep  Mr.  Robinson  directed  his  bene- 
volent attention  ;  feeling  something  of  the  zeal  which 
actuated  Paul,  he  did  not  wish  to  build  on  another 
man's  foundation,  but  to  preach  Christ  where  he  had 
not  been  named.  In  another  respect  he  resembled 
Paul,  for  he  went  forward,  fearless  of  danger,  and  as 
it  would  seem,  without  even  inquiring  whether  the 
laws  of  the  colonies  into  which  he  was  going  would 
alloAV  itinerant  preachers  to  pass  through  the  land. 
Accordingly,  he  had  penetrated  but  a  short  day's  jour- 
ney into  the  Old  Dominion,  and  reached  the  town  of 
Winchester,  when  he  was  apprehended  by  the  civil 
authorities ;  and  it  appearing  that  he  had  transgressed 
the  laws  of  the  colony,  a  mittimus  was  made  out  by 
the  magistrate  to  send  him  to  Williamsburg,  the  then 
seat  of  government,  for  they  were  at  a  loss  what  dis- 
posal to  make  of  him.  The  sheriff,  to  whom  he  was 
committed,  having  set  off  on  the  journey,  began  to 
think  that  it  would  be  a  useless  thing  to  conduct  his 
prisoner  to  a  place  so  distant,  and  finding  that  he  was 

ly 


218  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

a  sensible,  well-disposed  man,  he  assumed  the  respon- 
sibility of  letting  him  go  on  his  missionary  tour.  Mr. 
Robinson  proceeded  along  the  valley,  every  where 
finding  new  settlements  of  Presbyterians,  until  he 
reached  the  waters  of  James  river.  The  writer  has 
heard  an  old  man,  who  was  among  the  first  settlers  of 
the  country  round  about  Lexington,  then  called  the 
Forks,  say  that  he  had  heard  Mr.  Robinson  preach  in 
that  settlement  soon  after  it  was  formed.  But  the 
inhabitants  in  the  valley,  not  extending  any  further  to 
the  south-west,  he  returned,  and  crossing  the  Blue 
Ridge  at  Rock-fish  Gap,  proceeded  to  the  south, 
across  the  country,  until  he  reached  Cub  Creek,  then 
in  Lunenburg,  now  Charlotte.  Here  he  found  a  pretty 
large  settlement  of  Presbyterians,  where  he  stopped 
and  preached ;  and  here,  as  in  all  other  places,  his 
ministry  was  attended  by  the  Spirit  of  God ;  sinners 
were  awakened  and  converted,  and  the  people  of  God 
were  greatly  strengthened  and  comforted.  I  have 
conversed  with  an  old  man,  when  I  was  young,  who 
was  living  in  this  settlement  at  the  time,  and  was  after- 
wards an  elder  in  the  church  organized  there.  His 
name  was  Robert  Weakly,  born  in  Pennsylvania ;  and 
though  brought  up  among  the  opposcrs  of  the  revival, 
he  was  led  by  curiosity  to  hear  the  Rev.  Samuel  Blair 
preach,  and  was  brought  under  deep  conviction,  and 
after  many  trials,  he  hoped,  to  a  sound  conversion. 
From  this  time  he  connected  hunself  with  the  "New 
Lights,"  as  they  were  called.  This  man,  late  in  life, 
having  removed  into  Halifax  county,  where  he  had  no 
opportunity  of  attending  on  the  Lord's  supper  in  his 
own  church,  and  being  debarred  from  the  communion 
by  the  Baptists,  among  whom  he  lived,  unless  he  would 
submit  to  be  immersed,  was  at  length  induced  to  go 
down  with  them  under  the  water ;  but  though  thus 
nominally  a  Baptist,  his  heart  was  as  truly  Presby- 
terian as  ever.  He  was  a  man  of  eminent  and  long 
tried  piety,  and  had  a  good  report  from  all  of  every 
name,  whether  in  the  church  or  out  of  it. 


THE    REV.    WM.    ROBINSON.  219 

This  man  informed  me  that  under  Mr.  Robinson's 
first  sermon,  a  remarkable  conversion  of  a  half-breed 
Indian,  one  of  the  wickedest  of  men,  had  taken  place 
under  unusual  circumstances.  When  notice  was  given 
to  his  family  of  a  sermon  at  the  stand,  by  a  travelling 
preacher,  his  wife  wished  to  go,  but  he  positively  forbade 
her,  but  said  he  would  go  himself.  His  name  was 
David  Austin.  When  the  congregation  had  collected, 
he  was  seen  lying  outside  the  assembly,  under  a  tree, 
asleep.  And  thus  he  lay  until  the  preacher  took  his 
text,  which  he  uttered  in  a  thundering  voice,  "Awake, 
thou  that  sleepest."  Austin  sprang  to  his  feet  as  if 
pierced  with  a  dart,  and  fixing  his  eyes  on  the  preacher, 
never  removed  them,  but  drew  nigher  and  nigher  to  the 
stand,  until  at  the  close  he  was  observed  standing  at 
the  preacher's  feet,  and  the  tears  streaming  from  his 
eyes.  After  a  few  days  of  pungent  conviction,  he  re- 
ceived comfort  by  faith  in  Christ,  and  became  one  of 
the  most  eminent  Christians  in  all  the  land.  His  talent 
for  administering  consolation  to  distressed  consciences 
was  so  well  known,  that  he  has  been  sent  for  as  far  as 
thirty  miles,  to  converse  with  a  lady  under  spiritual 
darkness  and  distress  of  mind,  I  have  heard  a  pious 
old  mother  in  Israel  say  that  she  had  heard  Mr.  Da- 
vies,  and  Dr.  Waddel,  and  the  Smiths,  converse  on  re- 
ligion, but  she  never  heard  any  one  whom  she  found  so 
much  comfort  in  hearing  as  old  David  Austin. 

A  remarkable  attention  to  religion  in  the  county  of 
Hanover  existed  at  this  time,  without  the  aid  of  the 
ministry.  Some  persons  from  that  .place  being  on  a 
visit  to  Cub  Creek,  when  ^Ir.  Robinson,  on  his  way  to 
Carolina,  visited  that  settlement,  then  called  "The 
Caldwell  Settlement,"  gave  an  account  upon  their  re- 
turn of  the  preacher  they  had  heard.  Upon  hearing 
this  account,  the  serious  people  of  Hanover  inquired  at 
what  time  INIr.  Robinson  expected  to  return  from  Caro- 
lina to  Cub  Creek,  and  they  immediately  resolved  to 
send  two  of  their  number  to  meet  hiin  at  the  time 
specified.     It  so  happened,  however,  that  the  informa- 


220  THE     LOG     COLLEGE. 

tion  received  was  not  correct,  for  wlien  the  messengers 
arrived  at  Cub  Creek,  they  found,  to  their  disappoint- 
ment, that  he  had  passed  several  days  before.  Deter- 
mined, however,  not  to  go  back  without  him,  they  pur- 
sued after  him  through  a  very  rugged,  mountainous 
country,  and  overtook  him  at  Rockfish,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Bkie  Ridge.  Mr.  Robinson,  upon  hearing  the  state  of 
things  in  Hanover,  did  not  hesitate  to  go  with  the  men, 
but  in  order  to  reach  the  place  before  the  Sabbath,  it 
became  necessary  to  ride  one  whole  night ;  and 
when  he  arrived,  the  leaders  of  the  dissenting  congre- 
gation were  much  perplexed  and  concerned  lest  his 
doctrines  should  not  accord  with  those  which  from  books 
they  had  imbibed.  Therefore,  before  he  was  introduced 
to  the  congregation,  they  took  him  into  a  private  room, 
and  asked  him  what  was  his  opinion  of  such  works  as 
Luther  on  the  Galatians,  Boston,  Bunyan,  &c.,  and 
when  he  expressed  the  warmest  approbation,  they  were 
delighted  above  measure.  But  as  it  will  be  gratifying 
to  the  reader  to  see  the  whole  of  the  letter  which  Mr. 
Davies  "wrote  to  Mr.  Bellamy,  in  which  the  narrative  of 
Mr.  Robinson's  visit  to  Hanover  is  contained,  it  shall 
be  here  inserted. 

Letter  from  Mr.  Davies,  minister  of  Hanover,  Vir- 
ginia, to  Mr.  Bellamy  of  Bethlehem,  in  New-England. 

"  June  28,  1751. 

"  Rev.  and  Dear  Sir  : — "  If  the  publication  of  a  nar- 
rative of  the  rise,  progress,  and  present  situation  of  religion 
in  Virginia,  may  not  only  gratify  good  people,  but  (as  you 
give  me  reason  to  hope)  animate  their  prayers  for  us,  and 
also  encourage  preachers  to  come  into  these  parts,  I  should 
charge  myself  with  a  criminal  neglect  if  I  refused  to  publish 
the  marvellous  works  of  the  Lord  among  us.  I  hope  I  may 
observe  without  the  umbrage  of  calumny,  what  is  but  too 
evident  to  serious  people  of  all  denominations  among  us, 
that  religion  has  been,  and  in  most  parts  of  the  colony  still 
is,  in  a  very  low  state.  A  surprising  negligence  in  attend- 
ing public  worship,  and  an  equal  surprising  levity  and  uncon- 


THE    11 EV.     WM.     ROBINSON.  221 

cernedness  in  those  that  attend.  Family  religion  a  rarity, 
and  a  solemn  concern  about  eternal  things,  a  greater.  Vices 
of  various  kinds  triumphant,  and  even  a  form  of  godliness 
not  common.  But  universal  fame  makes  it  needless  for  me 
to  enlarge  on  this  disagreeable  subject.  Before  the  revival 
in  17-43,  there  were  a  few  who  were  awakened,  as  they  have 
told  me,  either  by  their  own  serious  reflections,  suggested 
and  enforced  by  divine  energy,  or  on  reading  some  authors 
of  the  last  century,  particularly  Bolton,  Baxter,  Flavel, 
]>unyan.  There  was  .one  Mr.  Samuel  Morris  who  had  for 
some  time  been  very  anxious  about  his  own  salvation,  who, 
after  obtaining  blessed  relief  in  Christ,  became  zealous  for 
the  salvation  of  his  neighbours,  and  very  earnest  to  use 
means  to  awaken  them.  This  was  the  tendency  of  his 
conversation ;  and  he  also  read  to  them  such  authors  as  had 
been  most  useful  to  himself,  particularly  Luther  on  the 
Galatians,  and  his  Table  Discourses,  and  several  pieces  of 
honest  Bunyan's.  By  these  means  some  of  his  neighbours 
were  made  more  thoughtful  about  their  souls ;  but  the  con- 
cern was  not  very  extensive.  I  have  prevailed  on  my  good 
friend  just  now  named,  who  was  the  principal  private  in- 
strument of  promoting  the  late  work,  and  therefore  well 
acquainted  with  it,  to  write  me  a  narrative  of  its  rise  and 
progress,  and  this,  together  with  what  he  and  others  have 
told  me,  I  shall  present  to  you  without  any  material  alter- 
ations. 

'  In  the  year  1740,  Mr.  Whitefield  had  preached  at  Wil- 
liamsburgh,  at  the  invitation  of  Mr.  Blair,  our  late  commis- 
sary. But  we  being  fifty  miles  distant  from  Williamsburgh, 
he  left  the  colony  before  we  had  an  opportunity  of  hearing 
him.  But  in  the  year  1743,  a  young  man  from  Scotland 
had  got  a  book  of  his  sermons  preached  in  Glasgow,  and 
taken  from  his  mouth  in  short  hand,  which,  after  I 
had  read  with  great  benefit,  I  invited  my  neighbours  to  come 
and  hear  it ;  and  the  plainness  and  fervency  of  these 
discourses  being  attended  with  the  power  of  the  Lord, 
many  were  convinced  of  their  undone  condition,  and  con- 
strained to  seek  deliverance  with  the  greatest  solicitude.  A 
considerable  number  met  to  hear  these  sermons  every  Sab- 
bath, and  frequently  on  week  days.  The  concern  of  some 
was  so  passionate  and  violent,  that  they  could  not  avoid 
crying  out,  weeping  bitterly,  &c.  And  that  when  such  in- 
19* 


222  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

dicatious  of  religious  concern  were  so  strange  and  ridicu- 
lous that  they  could  not  be  occasioned  by  example  or 
sympathy,  and  the  affectation  of  them  would  be  so  unpro- 
fitable an  instance  of  hypocrisy,  that  none  could  be  tempted 
to  it.  My  dwelling-house  at  length  was  too  small  to  contain 
the  people^  whereupon  we  determined  to  build  a  meeting- 
house, merely  for  reading.  And  having  never  been  used  to 
social  extempore  prayer,  none  of  us  durst  attempt  it.  By 
this  single  means  several  were  awakened,  and  their  conduct 
ever  since  is  a  proof  of  the  continuance  and  happy  issue  of 
their  impressions.  When  the  report  was  spread  abroad 
I  was  invited  to  several  places  to  read  these  sermons,  at  a 
considerable  distance,  and  by  this  means  the  concern 
was  propagated.  About  this  time  our  absenting  ourselves 
from  the  established  Church,  contrary,  as  was  alleged, 
to  the  laws  of  the  land,  was  taken  notice  of,  and  we  were 
called  upon  by  the  court  to  assign  our  reasons  for  it, 
and  to  declare  what  denomination  we  were  of.  As  we 
knew  but  little  of  any  denomination  of  dissenters  ex- 
cept Quakers,  we  were  at  a  loss  what  name  to  assume.  At 
length,  recollecting  that  Luther  was  a  noted  reformer, 
and  that  his  books  had  been  of  especial  service  to  us, 
we  declared  ourselves  Lutherans ;  and  thus  we  continued, 
until  Providence  sent  us  the  Rev.  Mr.  William  Robin- 
son. This  Mr.  Robinson  was  a  zealous,  laborious  min- 
ister of  Christ,  who,  by  the  permission  of  the  Presbytery, 
took  a  journey  through  the  new  settlements  in  Penn- 
sylvania, Virginia,  and  North  Carolina.  He  founded  a 
congregation  at  Lunenburg.*  In  Ameliaf  also,  a  county 
somewhat  nearer  us  than  the  former,  his  labours  were  ex- 
tensively blest ;  and  while  he  was  there,  some  of  our 
people  sent  him  an  invitation  to  come  and  preach  at 
our  reading  house.  Being  satisfied  about  the  soundness  of 
his  principles,  and  being  informed  that  the  method  of  his 
preaching  was  awakening,  we  were  very  eager  to  hear  him. 
On  the  6th  of  July,  1743,  he  preached  his  first  sermon 
to  us  from  Luke  xiii.  3,  and  continued  with  us  preaching 
four  days  successively.  The  congregation  was  large  the 
first  day,  and  vastly  increased  the  three  ensuing.  'Tis 
hard  for  the  liveliest  imagination  to  form  an  image  of  the 
condition  of  the  assembly,  on  these  glorious  days  of  the 

*  Now  Charlotte.  t  Now  Cumberland. 


THE    REV.     WM.     ROBINSON.  223 

Son  of  Man.  Such  of  us  as  had  been  hungering  for  the  word 
before  were  lost  in  an  agreeable  surprise  -and  astonishment, 
and  some  could  not  refrain  from  publicly  declaring  their 
transport.  We  were  overwhelmed  with  the  thoughts  of  the 
unexpected  goodness  of  God  in  allowiag  us  to  hear  the 
gospel  preached  in  a  manner  that  surpassed  our  hopes. 
Many  that  came -through  curiosity  were  pricked  to  the 
heart,  and  but  few  in  the  numerous  assemblies,  on  these 
four  days,  appeared  unaffected.  They  returned  alarmed 
with  apprehensions  of  their  dangerous  condition,  convinced 
of  their  former  entire  ignorance  of  religion,  and  anxiously 
inquiring  what  they  should  do  to  be  saved.  And  there  is 
reason  to  believe  there  was  as  much  good  done  by  these 
four  sermons  as  by  all  the  sermons  pi'eached  in  these  parts 
before  or  since.  Before  Mr.  Robinson  left  us  he  suc- 
cessfully endeavoured  to  correct  some  of  our  mistakes,  and  to 
bring  us  to  carry  on  the  worship  of  God  more  regularly  at 
our  meetings.  After  this  we  met  to  read  good  sermons,  and 
began  and  concluded  with  prayer  and  singing  of  psalms, 
which  till  then  we  had  omitted.  The  blessing  of  God 
remarkably  attended  these  more  private  means,  and  it 
was  really  astonishing  to  observe  the  solemn  impressions 
begun  or  continued  in  many  by  hearing  good  discourses 
read,  I  had  repeated  invitations  to  come  to  many  places 
round,  some  of  them  thirty  or  forty  miles  distant,  to-  read. 
Considerable  numbers  attended  with  eager  attention  and 
awful  solemnity,  and  several  were  in  a  judgment  of  charity 
turned  to  God,  and  thereupon  erected  meeting-houses  and 
chose  readers  among  themselves,  by  which  the  work  was 
more  extensively  carried  on. 

'  Soon  after  Mr.  Robinson  left  us,  the  Rev.  Mr.  John 
Blair  paid  us  a  visit,  and  truly  he  came  to  us  in  the  fulness 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  Former  impressions  were  ripened, 
and  new  ones  made  on  many  hearts.  One  night  in  particu- 
lar, a  whole  house  full  of  people  was  quite  overcome  with 
the  power  of  the  word,  particularly  of  one  pungent  sentence, 
and  they  could  hardly  sit  or  stand,  or  keep  their  passions 
under  proper  restraint.  So  general  was  the  concern  during 
his  stay  with  us,  and  so  ignorant  were  we  of  the  danger  of 
apostacy,  that  we  pleased  ourselves  with  the  thoughts  of 
more  being  brought  to  Christ  at  that  time  than  now  appears 
to  have  been ;  though  there  is  still  the  greatest  reason  to 


224  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

hope  that  several  bound  themselves  to  the  Lord  in  an  ever- 
lasting covenant  never  to  be  forgotten.  Some  time  after 
this,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Roan  was  sent  us  by  the  Presbytery  of 
New  Castle.  He  continued  with  us  a  longer  time  than  any 
of  the  former,  and- the  happy  effects  of  his  ministrations  are 
still  apparent.  He  was  instrumental  in  beginning  and  pro- 
moting the  religious  concern  in  several  places  where  there 
was  little  appearance  of  it  before.  This,  together  with  his 
speaking  pretty  freely  about  the  degeneracy  of  the  clergy  in 
this  colony  gave  a  general  alarm,  and  some  measures  were 
concerted  to  suppress  us.  To  incense  the  indignation  of  the 
government  the  more,  a  perfidious  wretch  deponed  he  heard 
Mr.  Roan  utter  blasphemous  expressions  in  his  sermon. 
An  indictment  was  thereupon  drawn  up  against  Mr.  Roan, 
(though  by  that  time  he  had  departed  the  colony,)  and  some 
who  had  invited  him  to  preach  at  their  houses  were  cited  to 
appear  before  the  general  court,  and  two  of  them  were  fined. 
While  my  cause  was  upon  trial,  I  had  reason  to  rejoice  that 
the  throne  of  grace  is  accessible  in  all  places,  and  that  help- 
less creatures  can  send  up  their  desires  unseen  in  the  midst 
of  a  crowd.  Six  witnesses  were  cited  to  prove  the  indict- 
ment -against  Mr.  Roan,  but  their  depositions  were  in  his 
favour,  and  the  witness  who  accused  him  of  blasphemy, 
when  he  heard  of  the  arrival  of  Messrs.  Tennent  and  Finley 
fled,  and  has  not  returned  since,  so  that  the  indictment  was 
dropped.  But  I  had  reason  to  fear  being  banished  the 
colony,  and  all  circumstances  seemed  to  threaten  the  extir- 
pation of  religion  among  the  dissenters  in  these  parts.  In 
these  difficulties,  having  no  person  of  a  public  character  to 
appear  in  our  favour,  we  were  determined  to  acquaint  the 
Synod  of  New  York  with  our  case.  Accordingly  four  of  us 
went  to  the  Synod,  May,  1745,  when  the  Lord  favoured  us 
with  success.  The  Synod  drew  up  an  address  to  our  gover- 
nor, the  honourable  Sir  William  Gooch,  and  sent  it  with 
Messrs.  Tennent' and  Finley,  who  were  received  by  the  gov- 
ernor with  respect,  who  gave  them  liberty  to  preach  among 
us.  By  this  means  the  dreadful  cloud  was  scattered  for  a 
while,  and  our  languid  hopes  revived.  They  continued  with 
us  about  a  week,  and  though  the  deluge  of  passion  in  which 
we  were  at  first  overwhelmed  was  by  this  time  somewhat 
abated,  yet  much  good  was  done  by  their  ministry.  The 
people  of  God  were  refreshed,  and  several  careless  sinners 


THE    REV.     WILLIAM    ROBINSON.  225 

were  awakened  Some  that  had  trusted  before  in  their  moral 
conduct  and  religious  duties,  were  convinced  of  the  deprav- 
ity of  their  nature,  and  the  necessity  of  regeneration,  though 
indeed  there  were  but  few  unrcgencrate  persons  among  us  at 
at  that  time,  that  coukl  claim  so  regular  a  character,  the 
most  part  indulging  themselves  in  criminal  liberties,  and 
being  remiss  in  the  duties  of  religion,  which  alas  is  too  com- 
monly the  case  still  in  such  parts  of  the  colony  as  the  late 
revival  did  not  extend  to. 

'  After  they  left  us,  we  continued  vacant  for  a  considera- 
ble time,  and  kept  up  our  meetings  for  reading  and  praying 
in  several  places,  and  the  Lord  favoured  us  with  his 
presence.  I  was  again  repeatedly  presented  and  fined  in 
court  for  absenting  myself  from  church,  and  keeping -up  un- 
lawful meetings,  (as  they  were  called,)  but  the  bush  flour- 
ished in  the  flames.  The  next  that  were  appointed  to  sup- 
ply us  were  the  Rev.  Messrs.  William  Tennent  and  Samuel 
Blair.  They  administered  the  Lord's  supper  among  us,  and 
we  have  reason  ever  to  remember  it  as  a  most  glorious  day  of 
the  Son  of  Man.  The  assembly  was  large,  and  the  novelty  of 
the  manner  of  the  administration  did  peculiarly  engage  their 
attention.  It  appeared  as  one  of  the  days  of  heaven  to 
some  of  us,  and  we  could  hardly  help  wishing  we  could 
.  with  Joshua  have  delayed  the  revolutions  of  the  heavens  to 
prolong  it.  After  Messrs.  Tennent  and  Blair  were  gone, 
Mr.  Whitefield  came  and  preached  four  or  five  days,  which 
was  the  happy  means  of  giving  us  further  encouragement, 
and  engaging  others  to  the  Lord,  especially  among  the 
church  people,  who  received  the  gospel  more  readily  from 
him  than  from  ministers  of  the  Presbyterian  denomination. 
After  his  departure  we  were  destitute  of  a  minister,  and 
followed  our  usual  method  of  reading  and  prayer  at  our 
meetings,  till  the  Rev.  Mr.  Davies,  our  present  pastor,  was 
sent  us  by  the  Presbytery,  to  supply  us  a  few  weeks  in  tho 
spring,  1747,  when  our  discouragements  from  the  govern- 
ment were  renewed  and  multiplied  ;  for  upon  a  Lord's  day,  a 
proclamation  was  set  up  at  our  meeting  house,  strictly  re- 
quiring all  magistrates  to  suppress  "and  prohibit,  as  far  as 
they  lawfully  could,  all  itinerant  preachers,  &c.,  which  Oc- 
casioned us  to  forbear  reading  that  day,  till  we  had  time  to 
deliberate  and  consult  what  was  expedient  to  do.  But  how 
joyfully  were  we  surprised  before  the  next  Sabbath,  whca 


226  THE    LOG    COLLEaE. 

we  unexpectedly  heard  that  Mr.  Davies  was  come  to  preach  so 
loag  among  us,  aud  especially  that  he  had  qualified  himself 
according  to  law,  aud  obtaiined  the  licensing  of  four  meeting 
houses  among  us,  which  had  never  been  done  before.  Thus 
man's  extremity  is  the  Lord's  opportunity.  For  this  season- 
able interposition  of  Divine  Providence  we  desire  to  offer  our 
grateful  praises,  and  we  importune  the  friends  of  Zion  to 
concur  with  us. 

"  Thus  far  Mr.  Morris's  narrative.  Then  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Davies  proceeds  to  give  an  account  of  the  state  of  their 
affairs  since  he  came  among  them  in  April,  1747.  *  Upon 
my  aiTival  I  petitioned  the  general  court  to  grant  me  a 
license  to  officiate  in  and  about  Hanover,  at  four  meeting- 
houses, which,  after  some  delay,  was  granted,  upon  my  qua- 
lifying according  to  the  act  of  toleration.  I  preached  fre- 
quently in  Hanover,  and  some  of  the  adjacent  pounties ;  and 
though  the  fervour  of  the  late  work  was  considerably  abated, 
and  my  labours  were  not  blessed  with  success  equal  to  those 
of  my  brethren,  yet  I  have  reason  to  hope  they  were  of 
service  in  several  instances.  The  importunities  they  used 
with  me  to  settle  with  them  were  invincible,  and  upon  my 
departure  they  sent  a  call  for  me  to  the  Presbytery.  After 
I  returned  from  Virginia  I  spent  a  year  under  melancholy 
and  consumptive  languishments,  expecting  death.  In  the 
spring  of  1748,  I  began  slowly  to  recover,  though  I  then 
looked  on  it  only  as  the  intermission  of  a  disorder  that  would 
finally  prove  mortal.  But  upon  the  arrival  of  a  messenger 
from  Hanover  I  put  my  life  in  my  hand,  and  determined  to 
accept  of  their  call,  hoping  I  might  live  to  prepare  the  way 
for  some  more  useful  successor,  and  willing  to  expire  under 
the  fatigues  of  duty  rather  than  in  voluntary  negligence. 
The  Hon.  Sir  Wm.  Gooch,  our  late  governor,  always  disco- 
vered a  ready  disposition  to  allow  us  all  claimable  privileges, 
and  the  greatest  aversion  to  persecuting  measures ;  but,  con- 
sidering the  shocking  reports  spread  abroad  concerning  us 
by  officious  maliguauts,  it  was  no  great  wonder  that  the 
council  discovered  considerable  reluctance  to  tolerate  us. 
Had  it  not  been  for  this  I  persuade  myself  they  would  have 
shown  themselves  the  guardians  of  our  legal  privileges,  as 
well  as  generous  ])atriot^  to  their  country,  which  is  the  cha- 
racter generaUy  given  them.  "  In  October,  1748,  besides  the 
four  meeting-houses  already  mentioned,  the  people  petitioned 


THE    REV.    WILLIAM    ROBINSON.  227 

for  the  licensing  of  three  more,  which  with  great  diflSculty 
was  obtained.  Among  these  seven  I  have  hitherto  divided 
my  time.  Three  of  them  lay  in  Hanover  county,  the  other 
four  in  the  counties  of  Henrico,  Carolina,  Louisa,  and  Gooch- 
land. The  nearest  are  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  distant  from 
each  other,  and  the  extremes  about  forty.  My  congregation 
is  vei'y  much  dispersed,  and  notwithstanding  the  number  of 
the  meeting-houses,  some  live  twenty,  some  thirty,  and  a 
few  forty  miles  from  the  nearest.  Were  they  all  compactly 
situated  in  one  county  they  would  be  sufficient  to  form  three 
distinct  congregations.  Many  of  the  church  people  also  at- 
tend when  there  is  sermon  at  any  of  these  houses.  This  I 
looked  upon  at  first  as  mere  curiosity  after  novelty,  but  as 
it  continues,  and  in  some  places  seems  to  increase,  I  cannot 
but  look  upon  it  as  a  happy  token  of  their  being  at  length 
thoroughly  engaged.  And  I  have  the  greater  reason  to  hope 
so  now,  as  experience  has  confirmed  my  former  hopes.  Fifty 
or  sixty  families  having  thus  been  happily  entangled  in  the 
net  of  the  gospel  by  their  own  curiosity,  or  some  such  mo- 
tive. There  are  about  three  hundred  communicants  in  my 
congregation,  of  whom  the  greatest  number  are  in  the  judg- 
ment of  rational  charity  real  Christians ;  besides  some  who 
through  excessive  scrupulousness  do  not  seek  admission  to 
the  Lord's  table.  Thero  is  also  a  number  of  negroes. 
Sometimes  I  see  an  hundred  and  more  among  my  hearers. 
(Psa.  Ixviii.  31.)  I  have  baptized  about  forty  of  them 
within  these  three  years,  upon  such  a  profession  of  faith  as 
I  then  judged  credible.  Some  of  them,  I  fear,  have  apos- 
tatized ;  but  others,  I  trust,  will  persevere  to  the  end.  I 
have  had  as  satisfying  evidences  of  as  sincere  pifety  from 
several  of  them  as  I  ever  had  from  any  person  in  my  life, 
and  their  artless  simplicity,  their  passionate  aspiratitms  after 
Christ,  their  incessant  endeavours  to  know  and  do  the  will 
of  God,  have  charmed  me.  But  alas  !  while  my  charge  is 
so  extensive  I  cannot  take  sufficient  pains  with  them  for 
their  instruction,  which  often  oppresses  my  heart. 

"  There  have  been  instances  of  unhappy  apostacy  among 
us;  but,  blessed  be  God,  not  many  in  proportion  to  the  num- 
ber brought  under  concern.  At  present  there  are  a  few 
under  promising  impressions,  but  in  general  a  lamentable 
security  prevails.  Oh,  for  a  little  re^dving  in  our  bondage  ! 
I  might  have  given  you  a  particular  account  of  the  conver- 


228  THE    LOa    COLLEGE. 

sion  of  some  persons  here,  as  indeed  there  are  some  uncom- 
mon instances  of  it,  but  I  shall  only  observe  in  general,  that 
abstracting  from  particular  circumstances,  the  work  of  con- 
version has  been  carried  on  in  such  steps  as  are  described  by 
experimental  divines,  as  Alleiue,  Shepherd,  Stoddard,  Flavel, 
&c.  And  nothing  confirms  me  more  in  the  truth  of  their 
opinions  concerning  experimental  piety,  than  this  agreement 
and  uniformity  as  to  the  substance,  in  the  exercises  of  those 
that  can  make  the  fairest  claim  to  sa\ang  grace.  There  is 
one  Isaac  Oliver  here,  whose  history,  could  I  write  it  intel- 
ligibly to  you,  would  be  very  entertaining.  He  has  been 
deaf  and  dumb  from  his  birth,  and  yet  I  have  the  utmost 
reason  to  believe  he  is  truly  gracious,  and  also  acfjuainted 
with  most  of  the  doctrines,  and  many  of  the  historical  facts 
of  the  Bible.  I  have  seen  him  represent  the  crucifixion  of 
Christ  in  such  significant  signs,  that  I  could  not  but  under- 
stand them.  Those  that  live  in  the  house  with  him  can 
hold  conversation  with  him  very  readily.  There  is  so  much 
of  the  devout  ai'dour  of  his  soul  discovered  at  times,  as  is 
really  afiectiug,  and  I  have  seen  him  converse  in  signs  about 
the  love  and  sufi'erings  of  Christ,  till  he  has  been  transported 
into  earnestness,  and  dissolved  in  tears.  The  above  Mr. 
Morris,  with  whom  he  lives,  has  told  me  that  eight  years 
ago  he  appeared  remarkably  changed,  and  ever  since  is  very 
conscientious  in  the  whole  of  his  behaviour;  generally  de- 
lights to  attend  both  public  and  family  worship,  though  he 
cannot  hear  a  word ;  and  is  observed  sometimes  to  retire  to 
secret  prayer,  though  he  signifies  that  he  is  praying  with 
his  heart  when  about  his  business  or  in  company,  which  is 
peculiarly  practicable  to  him,  as  in  all  places  he  enjoys 
retirement.  I  could  relate  several  peculiarities  about  him, 
but  as  they  are  unintelligible  to  myself,  or  might  seem  in- 
credible to  those  that  are  unacquainted  with  him,  I  omit 
them.  So  much,  however,  I  know  of  him,  that  I  cannot 
but  look  upon  him  as  a  miraculous  monument  of  Almighty 
grace,  that  can  perform  its  purposes  on  men  notwithstanding 
the  greatest  natural  or  moral  impediments ;  and  I  submit  it 
to  the  judgment  of  others,  whether  a  person  so  incapable  of 
external  instructions,  could  be  brought  to  know  the  mysteries 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  any  other  way  than  by  immediate 
revelation.  Besides  the  people  here,  several  of  my  brethren 
who  have  been  here,  particularly  Messrs.  Samuel  Blair  and 


THE    REV.    WM.    ROBINSON.  229 

Joliu  Roan,  can  attest  this  relation.  I  forgot  to  inform  you, 
in  its  proper  place,- that  the  Kev.  Mr.  Davenport  was  sent 
by  the  Synod  to  Hanover  last  summer,  and  continued  here 
about  two  months,  and,  blessedbe  God,  did  not  labour  in 
vain.  Some  were  brought  under  concern,  and  many  of  the 
Lord's  people  much  revived,  who  can  never  forget  the  instru- 
ment of  it. 

"  Thus,  dear  sir,  I  have  given  you  a  brief  account  of  what 
I  am  persuaded  you  will  readily  own  to  be  the  work  of  the 
Lord.  We  claim  no  infallibility,  but  we  must  not  fall  into 
scepticism.  If  we  could  form  no  judgment  of  such  a  work, 
why  should  we  pretend  to  promote  the  conversion  of  men,  if 
we  cannot  have  any  satisfying  knowledge  of  it  when  it  ap- 
pears ?  Indeed,  the  evidence  of  its  divinity  here  is  so  irre- 
sistible, that  it  has  extorted  an  acknowledgment  from  some 
from  whom  it  could  hardly  be  expected.  Were  you,  sir,  a 
narrow  bigot,  you  would,  no  doubt,  rejoice  to  hear  that  there 
are  now  some  hundreds  of  dissenters  in  a  place  where,  a  few 
years  ago,  there  were  not  ten ;  but  I  assure  myself  of  your 
congratulations  on  a  nobler  account,  because  a  considerable 
number  of  perishing  sinners  are  gained  to  the  blessed  Re- 
deemer, with  whom,  though  you  never  see  them  here,  you 
may  spend  a  blissful  eternity.  After  all,  poor  Virginia 
demands  your  compassion,  for  religion  at  present  is  but  like 
the  cloud  which  Elijah's  servant  saw.  Oh  that  it  may  spread 
and  cover  the  land  ! 

"  As  to  other  counties  where  dissenters  are  settled. 
There  are  two  congregations,  one  in  Albemarle,  and  one  in 
Augusta  county,  belonging  to  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia, 
that  have  ministers  settled  among  them  ;  but  those  that 
have  put  themselves  under  the  care  of  the  New  Castle  Pres- 
bytery (which  are  vastly  more  numerous),  notwithstanding 
their  repeated  endeavours,  are  still  destitute  of  ministers. 
There  are  as  many  of  them  as  would  form  five  distinct  con- 
gregations, three  at  least  in  Augusta,  one  in  Frederick,  and 
one  at  least  in  Lunenburgh  and  Amelia.*  Notwithstand- 
ing the  supplies  our  Presbytery  have  sent  them,  some  of 
them,  particularly  Lunenburgh,  have  been  both  a  year  to- 
gether without  one  sermon.  I  hope  one  of  them  may  soon 
be  provided  by  a  pious  young  man,  Mr.  Todd,  sent  by  New 

*  Now  Charlotte  and  Cumberland. 

20 


230  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

Brunswick  Presbytery,  but  I  have  no  prospect  as  to  the 
rest;  for  I  can  now  count  up  at  least  six  or  seven  vacant 
congregations  in  Pennsylvania,  and  two  or  three  in  Mary- 
land, besides  the  five  mentioned  in  the  frontier  counties  of 
Virginia,  and  a  part  of  my  own  congregation,  which  I  would 
willingly  declare  vacant,  had  they  opportunity  of  obtaining 
another  minister.  And  there  are  but  twelve  members  in 
New  Castle  Presbytery,  and  two  or  three  candidates  that 
are  pre-engaged  to  vacancies  in  Pennsylvania.  We  have 
indeed,  of  late,  licensed  several  pious  youths,  but  our  vacan- 
cies increase  almost  as  fast  as  our  ministers,  by  the  settle- 
ment of  new  places,  or  the  breaking  out  of  religious  concern 
in  places  where  there  was  little  before ;  and  some  of  our 
most  useful  members  are  lately  called  home  by  death,  such 
as  Messrs.  Robinson  and  Dean,  and  now  Mr.  Samuel  Blair. 
May  the  Lord  induce  faithful  ministers  from  New  England, 
or  wherever  they  might  be  spared,  to  come  and  help  us  ! 
While  these  congregations  have  been  destitute  of  settled 
pastors,  itinerant  preaching  among  them  has,  by  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  been  very  useful.  Mr.  Robinson  underwent 
great  hardships  in  North  Carolina,  without  much  success, 
by  reason  of  the  fewness  and  savage  ignorance  of  the  inhab- 
itants ;  but  the  case  is  now  happily  altered.  A  new  con- 
gregation, I  think  upon  Pee-dee  river,  sent  a  petition  lately 
to  our  Presbytery  for  a  minister.  Besides  this,  I  hear  of 
several  other  places  in  North  Carolina,  that  are  ripening 
very  fast  for  the  gospel.  0  that  the  Lord  would  send 
forth  faithful  labourers  into  his  harvest  !  Mr.  Robinson 
was  the  instrument  of  awakening  several  in  Lunenburgh 
and  Amelia,  with  whom  I  lately  spent  a  fortnight,  at  their 
earnest  desire  ;  and  th(;re  is  a  prospect  of  doing  much  ser- 
vice were  they  furnished  with  a  faithful  minister.  I  met 
■with  most  encouragement  in  a  part  of  Amelia  county,  where 
very  few  had  heard  any  of  my  brethren.  The  assemblies 
were  large  even  on  week  days,  and  sometimes  there  appeared 
much  solemnity  and  aifcction  among  them.  There  appears 
great  probability  of  success  if  they  had  a  faithful  minister. 
It  was  really  afflicting  to  me  that  the  necessity  of  my  own 
congregation  constrained  me  to  leave  them  so  soon.  In 
Augusta  there  is  a  great  number  of  solid,  lively  Christians. 
There  was  a.  prt^tty  general  awakening  there  some  years  ago, 
under  the  ministry  of  Messrs.  Dean  and  Byram.     I  believe 


THE    K  E  V .    W  M  .     ROBINSON.  231 

three  ministers  might  live  very  comfortably  among  them. 
In  Frederick  county,  there  has  also  been  (as  I  am  informed 
by  my  brethren  who  have  been  there)  a  considerable  awak- 
ening some  years  ago,  which  has  had  a  blessed  issue  in 
many,  and  the  congregation  have  been  seeking  a  minister 
those  several  years.  In  Maryland  also,  there  has  been  a 
considerable  revival  (shall  I  call  it  ?)  or  first  plantation  of 
religion  in  Baltimore  county,  where  I  am  informed  ]Mr. 
Whittlesey  is  likely  to  settle.  In  Kent  county,  and  Queen 
Anne's,  a  number  of  careless  sinners  have  been  awakened 
and  hopefully  brought  to  Christ.  The  work  was  begun  and 
chiefly  carried  on  by  the  instrumentality  of  that  favoured 
man,  Mr.  Robinson,  whose  success,  whenever  I  i-eflect  upon 
it,  astonishes  me.  Oh  !  he  did  much  in  a  little  time,  and 
who  would  not  choose  such  an  expeditious  pilgrimage 
through  this  world  ?  There  is,  in  these  places,  a  consider- 
able congregation,  and  they  have  made  repeated  essays  to 
obtain  a  settled  minister. 

There  was  a  great  stir  about  religion  in  Buckingham,  a 
place  on  the  sea-shore,  about  four  years  ago,  which  has  since 
spread  and  issued  in  a  hopeful  conversion  in  several  in- 
stances. They  also  want  a  minister.  But  the  most  glo- 
rious display  of  divine  grace  in  Maryland  has  been  in  and 
about  Somerset  county.  It  began,  I  think,  in  1745,  by  the 
ministry  of  Mr.  Robinson,  and  was  afterwards  carried  on  by 
several  ministers  that  preached  transiently  there.  I  was 
there  about  two  months^  when  the  work  was  at  its  height, 
and  I  never  saw  such  deep  and  spreading  concern ;  the  as- 
semblies were  numerous,  though  in  the  extremity  of  a  cold 
winter,  and  unwearied  in  attending  the  word  ;  and  frc(|uently 
there  were  very  few  among  them  that  did  not  give  some 
plain  indications  of  distress  or  joy.  Oh  !  these  were  the 
happiest  days  that  ever  my  eyes  saw.  Since  that  the  har- 
vest seems  over  there,  though  considerable  gleanings,  I  hear, 
are  still  gathered.  They  have  of  late  got  ]Mr.  Henry  for 
their  minister,  a  young  man,  who  I  trust  will  be  an  exten- 
sive blessing  to  that  part  of  the  colony.  I  shall  prize  it, 
dear  sir,  as  a  great  blessing,  if  you  and  others  of  the  Lord's 
servants  and  people  in  distant  parts,  favour  us  with  your 
prayers,  and  shall  be  glad  to  correspond  with-  them.  Our 
acquaintance  with  the  various  parts  of  the  church  ("[ualifies 
us  to  adapt  our  prayers  to  their  state.     May  your  divine 


232  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

Master  bless  you  and  succeed  your  ministrations,  and  pour 
out  his  Spirit  on  the  land  where  you  reside."* 

Not  only  in  Hanover,  but  in  all  the  places  where 
Mr.  Robinson  preached,  there  were  permanent  fruits 
of  his  labours.  The  writer  has  seen  and  conversed 
with  a  number  of  persons  who  wfere  brought  to 
serious  consideration  under  the  ministry  of  this  suc- 
cessful evangehst.  Old  John  White,  who  resided 
near  Charleatown,  in  Jefferson  county,  and  who  was 
the  father  of  Judge  White  of  Winchester,  was  one  of 
Mr.  Robinson's  great  admirers,  and  I  believe  brought 
to  the  experimental  knowledge  of  the  truth  under  his 
ministry.  Old  Mr.  Hoge,  the  father  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Moses  Hoge,  who  was  a  seceder,  informed  the  writer 
that  he  often  heard  Robinson  w^hen  he  preached  at 
Opekin  and  Cedar  Creek,  in  Frederick  county,  and 
while  he  admitted  that  he  preached  the  gospel  faith- 
fully and  with  great  zeal,  yet  he  said  there  was  a  want 
of  method  in  his  discourses.  After  Mr.  Robinson's 
return  from  this  interesting  tour,  he  laboured  in  the 
state  of  New  York  with  his  usual  success, .  and  also  in 
some  congregations  in  Maryland,  where  .there  Avas  a 
blessed  work  of  grace  under  his  ministry. 

»  "May  22d,  1745,  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent  and  Mr.  Davies  being  at  Ed- 
inburgh, as  agents  for  the  trustees  of  the  college  of  New  Jersey  (an  insti- 
tution that  promises  well,  if  the  Lord  vouchsafe  it  his  blessing,  for  the 
success  of  the  gospel,)  Mr.  Davies  informs  that  one  Mr.  Brown  is  lately 
ordained  in  Augusta  county,  where  there  were  sundry  congregations  va- 
cant ever  since  their  first  settlement;  that  he  has  the  care  of  two  meetings, 
and  as  he  is  a  youth  of  piety,  prudence,  and  zeal,  there  is  reason  to  expect 
that  his  labours  will  be  of  service  in  that  wilderness,  not  only  in  his  own 
more  peculiar  charge,  but  in  the  neighbouring  places  that  have  no  minister 
of  their  own.  Also,  that  Mr.  John  Wright,  who  supplies  Mr.  Davies's 
charge  in  his  absence,  ias  wrote  that  since  he  has  officiated  in  his  place, 
there  are  considerable  appearances  of  success  in  Caroline  and  Henrico, 
where  Mr.  Davies  was  apprehensive  he  laboured  much  in  vain.  When  Mr. 
Davies  left  Virginia  in  August  last,  there  was  a  hopeful  appearance  of  a 
greater  spread  of  religious  concern  among  the  negroes.  A  few  weeks  be- 
fore he  left  home,  he  baptized  in  one  day  fifteen  negroes,  after  they  had 
been  catechized  for  some  months,  and  given  credible  evidence  of  their  sin- 
cerely embracing  the  gospel.  He  also  says  that  Isaac  Oliver,  the  dumb 
man  mentioned  in  his  letter  above,  has  behaved  as  one  would  expect  from 
such  promising  beginnings,  his  conduct  being  such  as  becomes  the  pro- 
fession of  the  gospel." 


THE    REV.    WM.    ROBINSON.  233 

Probably  Mr.  Robinson,  during  the  short  period  of 
his  life,  was  the  instrument  in  the  conversion  of  as 
many  souls  as  any  minister  who  ever  lived  in  this 
country.  The  only  circumstance  relating  to  his  per- 
son which  has  come  down  is,  that  he  was  blind  of  one 
eye  ;  so  that  by  some  he  was  called  "  the  one-eyed 
Robinson." 

We  are  also  entirely  ignorant  of  the  circumstances 
of  his  death.  This  event  we  know  occurred  before 
the  year  1751,  in  which  Mr.  Davies  wrote  his  letter 
to  Mr.  Bellamy,  for  it  is  mentioned  with  grief  in  that 
communication.  If  we  mistake  not,  Mr.  Davies  has 
celebrated  the  labours  and  successes  of  this  servant 
of  God  in  one  of  his  poems,  and  Mr.  Tennent  some- 
where speaks  of  him  as  "  that  wonderful  man."  Mr. 
Robinson  was  never  married,  and  had,  it  is  believed, 
no  relatives  in  this  country,  and  as  far  as  appears 
never  printed  anything,  nor  left  any  of  his  writings  to 
be  a  memorial  to  posterity  of  his  fervent  piety  and 
evangelical  spirit.  It  is  not  even  known  where  his 
body  rests ;  but  his  glorious  Master  whom  he  served  so 
faithfully  in  the  gospel,  will  know  where  to  find  it 
when  he  shall  come  to  resuscitate  the  bodies  of 
his  saints. 

20* 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


MEMOIR    OF   REV.   JOHN  ROWLAND. 


Mr.  Rowland  received  by  the  New  Branswick  Presbytery  at  its  first 
meeting,  in  violation  of  the  rule  of  Synod — His  trials — Speedy  licen- 
sure— Accepts  a  call  to  Maidenhead  and  Hopewell — Great  revival — His 
letter  to  Mr.  Prince — Removal  to  Pennsylvania — Revival  at  New  Provi- 
dence— Close  of  life  unknown. 

Of  Mr.  Rowland  nothing  is  known  prior  to  tlie  time 
when  he  was  taken  under  the  care  of  the  New  Bruns- 
wick Presbytery,  at  its  first  meeting  in  August,  1738. 
It  is  certain,  indeed,  that  he  was  an  alumnus  of  the 
Log  College,  where  probably  he  reoeivedTthe  principal 
part  of  his  education. 

In  "receiving  him  under  their  care,  the  Presbytery 
deliberately  violated  a  standing  rule  of  the  Synod, 
which  required  that  every  candidate,  before  being 
taken  on  trials  by  any  Presbytery,  should  submit  him- 
self to  an  examination  on  his  classical  and  scientific 
attainments  by  a  committee  of  the  Synod.  This  rule 
the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick  believed  to  be  arbi- 
trary, and  an  undue  infringement  on  the  rights  of 
Presbyteries,  and  therefore  determined  to  disregard 
it.  This  was  undoubtedly  a  rash  and  disorderly  pro- 
ceeding. Even  if  their  opinion  about  the  rights  of 
Presbyteries  had  been  correct,  they  should  first  have 
remonstrated  against  the  Synod's  rule,  and  endeav- 
oured to  have  it  repealed.  But  the  members  of  this 
new  Presbytery  having  been  the  principal  supporters 
of  the  Log  College,  considered  the  rule  of  the  Synod 
as  particularly  directed  against  that  institution,  and 
on  this  account  were  disposed  to  resist  it.  Hence 
(234) 


THE    REV.    JOHN    ROWLAND.  235 

arose  the  violent  dissension  between  tliis  Presbytery 
and  the  Synod,  which  issued  in  a  division  of  the  body 
into  two  parts,  the  Okl  and  the  New  Side ;  of  which  an 
account  has  ah-eady  been  given. 

At  this  first  meeting  of  the  New  Brunswick  Presby- 
tery, tlie  following  ministers  and  elders  were  present, 
viz.,  Gilbert  Tennent,  John  Cross,  William  Tennent, 
Eleazar  Wales,  and  Samuel  Blair.  The  elders  were 
James  McCoy,  John  Henry,  William  Moor,  Robert 
Cunningham,  and  Thomas  Davis.  As  none  in  the 
minutes  are  marked  as  absent,  it  would  seem  that  this 
first  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  set  an  example  de- 
serving the  imitation  of  their  successors.  All  the 
ministers  were  in  their  places,  and  an  equal  number  of 
ruling  elders,  so  that  there  was  no  delinquency  on 
their  part.  The  first  business,  after  they  were  regu- 
larly constituted,  was  the  receiving  of  Mr,  John  Row- 
land as  a  candidate  under  their  care.  And  in  reaiard 
to  the  rule  of  Synod,  after  much  discussion  they 
adopted  the  following  resolution : — 

"  That  in  point  of  conscience,  they  were  not  re- 
strained from  using  the  liberty  and  power  which  Pres- 
byteries all  along  have  hitherto  enjoyed;  but  that  it 
was  their  duty  to  take  the  said  Mr.  Rowland  on  trials, 
for  which  conclusion  they  conceive  they  have  many 
weighty  and  sufiicient  reasons." 

The  Presbytery  then  proceeded  to  the  examina- 
tion of  Mr.  Rowland,  "  on  the  several  parts  of  learn- 
ing, and  on  his  experience  of  a  work  of  converting 
grace  in  his  soul,  which  he  sustained  to  their  satis- 
faction." 

The  trials  of  Mr.  Rowland  were  carried  through 
as  rapidly  as  was  consistent  with  the  usage  in  such 
cases.  The  Presbytery  met  again  on  the  1st  day  of 
September  of  the  same  year,  when  he  read  a  Latin 
exegesis,  and  a  sermon  on  Psalm  Ixxxvii.  5.  With 
these  trials  the  Presbytery  expressed  themselves  well 
pleased,  and  assigned  him  as  the  subject  of  a  popular 
sermon,  Romans  iii.  24,  and  adjourned  to  meet  the  fol- 


236  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

lowing  week  at  Freehold,  when  Mr.  Rowland  preached 
at  the  opening  of  the  Presbytery,  who  -  having  taken 
the    sermon   under    consideration,  it  was    highly  and* 
unanimously  approved. 

The  candidate  having  now  gone  through  all  the 
j)rescribed  trials,  after  adopting  the  Westminster 
Confession  of  Faith  as  the  confession  of  his  faith, 
was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel  of  Christ.  His 
licensure  took  place  exactly  one  month  after  he  was 
taken  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery.  There  is  no 
reason  to  lead  us  to  conclude  that  Mr.  Rowland  was 
deficient  in  the  qualifications  requisite  for  the  ofiice  of 
the  ministry.  From  the  record  it  appears  that  the 
Presbytery  Avere  well  satisfied  with  all  the  parts  of  his 
trials ;  and  it  is  known  that  he  was  a  popular  and  an 
awakening  preachei",  and  that  his  ministry  was  attended 
with  much  success. 

As  might,  have  been  expected,  this  act  of  the  Pres- 
bytery brought  down  upon  them  the  censm-e  of  the 
Synod;  and  the  Presbytery  not  being  disposed  to 
submit  to  a  rule  which  they  considered  arbitrary  and 
inconsistent  with  their  rights,  things  grew  worse  and 
worse,  until  the  parties  separated.  Before  this  event, 
however,  the  Synod  absolutely  refused  to  consider 
Mr.  Rowland  as  a  member  of  their  body.  They  did 
not  deny  that  he  was  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  but 
alleged,  that  having  been  brought  in  contrary  to  their 
rules,  he  could  not  be  recognized  as  a  member.  It 
appears  from  Mr.  Rowland's  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Prince  of  Boston,  that  on  the  very  day  of  his  being 
licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  an  application  was  made 
to  the  Presbytery  for  his  services  by  the  united  con- 
gregations of  Maidenhead  (Lawrence,)  and  Hopewell, 
(Pennington.)  And  it  was  not  long  after  this  that  he 
was  artfully  personated  by  Tom  Bell,  when  he  was 
absent  on  a  preaching  tour  in  Maryland,  in  company 
with  the  Rev.  William  Tennent.  On  his  return,  as 
has  been  related  in  the  life  of  Mr.  William  Tennent, 
he  was  indicted  for  horse-stealing  and  robbery,  and  was 


THE    REV.    JOHN    ROWLAND.  237 

cleared  by  the  testimony  of  Mr,  Tennent  and  two 
others,  who  swore  that  he  was  at  the  time  in  a  distant 
part  of  the  country.  But  the  impression  on  the  public 
mind  was  so  strong,  that  he  was  the  person  seen  by 
many  in  the  possession  of  the  stolen  horse,  that  the 
three  witnesses,  including  Mr.  Tennent,  Avere  indicted 
for  perjury,  and  one  of  them  actually  suffered  the  pen- 
alty of  the  law  for  this  crime.  How  wonderfully  Mr. 
Tennent  was  delivered  from  an  ignominious  punish- 
ment may  be  seen  in  the  memoir  which  we  have  pub- 
lished of  this  extraordinary  man. 

Mr.  Rowland  accepted  the  invitation  of  the  congre- 
gations before  mentioned,  and  his  labours  among  them 
were  attended  with  an  extraordinary  blessing,  in  a 
great  revival  of  religion  in  both  these  congregations. 
But  as  Mr.  Rowland  himself  has  given  a  narrative  of 
this  work  of  grace  in  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Prince, 
of  Boston,  we  think  it  most  expedient  to  publish  his 
own  account  in  his  own  w^ords. 

The  letter  is  as  follows : — 

"  Rev.  Sir  : — In  answer  to  yours,  &c. — I  was  sent  forth 
to  preach  the  gospel  of  Christ,  by  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick,  on  September  7th,  17o8,  on  which  day  the  con- 
gregations of  Maidenhead  and  Hopewell  put  in  a  supplica- 
tion for  nie  to  the  Presbytery,  and  accordingly  I  complied 
therewith.  In  process  of  time,  we  had  the  privilege  of 
Maidenhead  meeting-house,  and  my  people  built  a  meeting- 
house in  Hopewell ;  but  before  this,  we  were  constrained  to 
keep  our  meetings  in  barns  in  both  towns ;  and  though  we 
thus  appeared  as  poor,  despised  creatures,  yet  the  congrega- 
tion that  attended  my  ministry  was  so  numerous  that  the 
largest  barns  among  us  were  chosen  to  worship  God  in.  It 
was  some  discouragement  to  me  at  first,  that  1  and  my  peo- 
ple had  no  better  places  for  divine  worship ;  but  at  that  time 
I  thought  on  these  things,  which  proved  some  support  to 
me,  viz.,  that  our  Jjord  and  Saviour  was  born  in  a  mean 
place,  and  likewise  preached  in  the  ship,  and  on  the  moun- 
tain, as  well  as  in  the  synagogues,  and  that  it  had  been  the 
frequent  lot  of  his  people  to  betake  themselves  to  worship 
him  in  places  attended  with  many  inconveniences.     There  is 


238  THE   LOG   COLLEGE. 

another  town  lying  contiguous  to  Hopewell,  which  is  called 
Amwell ;  the  people  there  were  something  numerous  like- 
wise, and  having  none  to  labour  among  them  in  the  word, 
they  petitioned  for  a  part  of  my  time,  viz.,  one  Sabbath  in 
three,  and  it  was  granted  unto  them ;  so  that  my  labours 
among  these  three  towns,  for  the  most  part  of  the  time  that 
I  lived  in  the  Jerseys,  were  equally  divided.  There  was  a 
small  number  in  Hopewell  and  Maidenhead,  truly  acquainted 
with  vital  religion,  as  far  as  I  could  judge,  before  I  came 
among  them,  and  they  seemed  so  earnest  in  prayer  night 
and  day,  to  have  the  gospel  in  power  among  them,  as  if 
they  would  take  no  denial.  But  of  them  who  became  my 
congregation  in  Amwell,  there  were  but  very  few  that  knew 
the  Lord  Jesus  when  I  came  among  them ;  yet  in  many 
ways  they  were  a  very  agreeable  people,  so  that  I  was  much 
encouraged  to  labour  among  them. 

"The  subjects  which  I  chiefly  insisted  on  for  about  six 
months  were  conviction  and  conversion,  and  usually  I  made 
choice  of  the  most  rousing  and  awakening  texts  to  set  forth 
the  nature  of  these  doctrines ;  and  I  have  reason  to  hope 
that  the  Lord  began  to  accompany  his  word  in  a  measure 
from  the  very  first.  Some  began  to  be  convinced  that  they 
were  in  the  way  to  misery,  and  unacquainted  with  the  way 
to  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  But  then,  let  it  be  observed, 
that  but  one  or  two  were  taken  with  convictions  at  a  time, 
or  under  one  sermon.  For  many  months  together  *  their 
convictions  were  still  increased,  and  the  number  of  the  con- 
vinced was  still  multiplied.  I  commonly  preached  in  the 
•  night  as  well  as  in  the  day,  and  frequently  on  week  days 
also ;  so  that  they  had  hardly  any  opportunity  to  cast  their 
convictions  out  of  their  thoughts,  the  Lord  continuing  to 
co-operate  with  his  word.  The  fre(juent  opportunities  which 
I  took  to  examine  them  were  made  very  beneficial,  through 
the  I)ivine  blessing,  to  preserve  their  convictions  alive  until 
the  time  of  grace,  of  which  I  shall  speak  afterwards.  The 
attention  of  all  in  general  was  awakened ;  fathers,  mothers, 
and  the  youth  ;  some  negroes,  also,  seemed  very  earnest  after 


*  "  Let  none  suppose  that  because  I  speak  of  convictions  being  still 
carried  on,  that  I  mean  that  sinners  must  be  convinced  to  some  high  de- 
gree before  they  ca^n  be  converted ;  I  only  mean  that  this  was  the  way 
which  the  Lord  observed  in  carrying  on  his  work,  to  keep  sinners  for  a 
long  time  under  conviction  before  he  manifested  his  love  to  them." 


THE    REV.    JOHN    ROWLAND.  239 

the  word,  and  were  convinced  thereby  of  their  sin  and  mis- 
ery, and  that  Christ  they  must  have,  or  perish  for  ever. 

"  The  people  of  God  were  much  eulivened  to  see  poor  sin- 
ners convinced  of  the  perishing  nature  of  their  state,  and 
their  absolute  need  of  Christ.  Their  supplications  to  God 
were  mostly  bent  for  the  conversion  of  sinners ;  and  their 
conversation,  whenever  they  met  together,  as  far  as  I  ob- 
served it,  (_and  frequent  opportunities  I  had  to  observe  it,) 
savoured  exceedingly  of  the  thirtgs  of  God,  so  that  I  can- 
not say  that  I  ever  saw  those  pious  people  given  to  world- 
liness  in  their  conversation,  or  to  lightness  and  vanity  in 
their  discourses.  Great  was  the  love  they  bore  to  one  ano- 
ther, and  sweet  was  the  peace  which  subsisted  among  them- 
selves, so  that  I  was  not  interrupted  from  my  work  by 
making  up  differences  among  them. 

"  In  the  month  of  May,  1739,  I  began  to  think  that  the 
most  inviting  and  encouraging  subjects  would  be  the  most 
agreeable  to  convinced  souls,  and  accordingly  I  began  with 
these  words,  John  xi.  28,  29  :  '  The  Master  is  come,  and 
calleth  for  thee.  As  soon  as  she  heard  that,  she  arose 
quickly,  and  came  unto  him.'  The  discourse  upon  this  sub- 
ject was  brought  home,  through  the  divine  influence,  upon 
the  souls  of  many.  Solemn  weeping  and  deep  concern  ap- 
peared through  the  congregation.  I  had  hopes  that  the 
hearts  of  some  had  been  knit  close  to  Jesus  our  Lord,  which 
afterwards  appeared  to  be  so ;  of  which  more  hereafter.  I 
was  still  encouraged  to  go  on  in  inviting  convinced  sinners 
to  come  and  embrace  the  person  and  purchase  of  the  dear 
Lord  Jesus.  Then  I  made  choice  of  that  word  in  Matthew 
xxii.  4  : — '  And  all  things  are  ready:  come  unto  the  mar- 
riage.' This  was  also  blessed  to  poor  convinced  souls.  They 
were  brought  under  a  full  persuasion  that  Jesus,  the  Sou  of 
God,  was  ready  and  willing  to  embrace  them  with  his  ever- 
lasting favour,  and  to  pardon  their  sins  and  transgressions ; 
but  then  they  found  more  of  their  own  hardness,  and  had  a 
clearer  view  of  their  own  unwillingness  to  come  unto  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  increased  their  mourning  and  sor- 
row, and  made  them  press  forward  with  more  living  ear- 
nestness in  search  after  Jesus  Christ.  A  variety  of  other 
engaging  subjects  I  made  use  of  for  a  considerable  time,  to 
press  them  to  a  full  closure  with  Jesus  Chi-ist.  At  length, 
by  frequent  converse  among  them,  and  inquiring  strictly 


Ii40  THE    LOO    COLLEGE. 

into  the  nature  of  the  views  they  had  of  Christ,  and  the 
outgoings  of  their  souls  after  him,  and  their  willingness  to 
be  ruled  by  Jesus  Christ  in  their  whole  hearts  and  lives,  I 
could  not  but  be  favourable  in  my  thoughts  of  such,  as 
persons  favoured  of  the  Lord. 

"  I  find,  by  reading  what  accounts  I  kept  by  me  of  the 
blessed  work  of  grace  which  hath  been  in  these  towns,  that 
there  was  much  good  done  by  visiting,  by  which  means  I 
found  out  many  that  had  been  touched,  of  whom  I  had  not 
well  heard  how  it  was  with  them,  which  gave  me  an  oppor- 
tunity to  offer  such  things  unto  them  as  might  tend  to  fix 
these  beginnings  in  their  souls,  and  increase  them.  So, 
likewise,  many  were  convinced  of  their  lost  state  by  nature. 
By  particular  examinations  I  found,  likewise,  that  private 
examination  of  persons,  as  to  their  state  and  condition,  is  an 
excellent  means  to  lay  them  open  to  conviction  under  the 
public  word ;  and  thus  were  some  convinced  in  these  towns. 

"  The  divine  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God  was  very 
evidently  afforded  with  his  word,  though  not  in  every 
opportunity,  yet  in  several,  until  May  1740, 'in  which  time 
many  more  were  added  unto  the  Lord's  people.  Some  of 
these  opportunities,  for  clearness  sake,  I  shall  mention. 
One  was  on  October  6th,  1739,  in  a  night  meeting;  but  the 
people  not  having  been  warned  with  sufficient  care,  there 
met  but  about  fifteen  persons,  eleven  of  whom  were  deeply 
convinced  of  their  misery,  and  some  of  them  cried  out 
so  very  awfully  that  I  was  constrained  to  conclude.  After 
sermon  I  took  an  opportunity  to  inquire  of  those  persons 
what  was  the  real  cause  of  their  crying  out  in  such  a 
manner.  Some  of  them  answered  me,  '  that  they  saw  hell 
opening  before  them,  and  themselves  ready  to  fall  into 
it.'  Others  answered  me,  '  that  they  were  struck  with 
such  a  sense  of  their  sinfulness,  that  they  were  afraid 
the  Lord  would  never  have  mercy  on  them.'  Another  of 
these  opportunities  was  on  December  30th,  1739.  As 
to  myself,  I  felt  exceeding  poor  in  the  frame  of  my  soul ;  so 
that  I  thought  I  might  well  say,  as  in  the  words  of  the 
text  I  preached  on  that  day,  Isa.  6,  *  What  shall  I  cry  ?' 
But  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  manifest  his  grace  and  power 
exceedingly  thi-ough  the  whole  service.  The  people  of 
Grod  were  much  enlarged  in  love  to  see  that  whatever 
gracious  word  was  sent  with  power  into  their  hearts  was 


THE    REV.    JOHN    ROWLAND.  241 

sent  from  God ;  for  tlie  man  knoweth  not  what  to  cry, 
without  being  guided  by  the  word  and  Spirit.  Some 
hardened  creatures,  who  thought  not  much  of  religion, 
as  if  there  was  no  reality  in  it,  were  deeply  convinced 
of  the  truth,  reality,  and  beauty  of  religion.  Others,  who 
knew  not  well  which  way  to  walk,  or  what  to  choose,  op- 
posers  I  cannot  call  them,  though  they  had  not  joined  with 
our  side ;  such  I  say,  as  far  as  we  could  judge  the  tree 
by  the  fruit,  were  also-  convinced  and  converted  under  that 
discourse.  Many  youths  also  were  wrought  upon,  so  that 
I  cannot  say  truly  that  any  remained  untouched.  Some  of 
these  persons  were  pleased  to  tell  me,  that  they  never  would 
forget  this  day,  in  which  Grod  had  been  so  gracious  unto 
them.  As  to  backsliders  from  convictions,  who  were 
not  converted,  I  shall  afterwards  speak  of  them.  The  night 
of  the  same  day  being  spent  in  public  worship  (viz.  the 
first  part  thereof),  was  attended  with  the  same  divine 
influence.  Another  of  these  opportunities  was  on  April 
6th,  1740,  in  Maidenhead.  The  subject  that  was  insisted 
on  was  the  gospel-net,  from  Matt.  xiii.  Many  who  were 
not  acquainted  with  the  spiritual  nature  of  the  gospel  in  the 
least  degree,  as  far  as  I  found,  were  greatly  bowed  down, 
and  brought  to  own  that  it  was  the  Lord's  work  which  was 
carried  on.  The  people,  in  general,  through  the  whole 
assembly,  sfcemed  as  if  they  were  humbled  before  the  Lord, 
which  afterwards  proved  itself  to  be  so.  Without  con- 
troversy, many  of  these ,  slipped  out  of  the  net  as  fast 
as  they  could;  yet  many,  blessed  be  God,  were  held  in 
it  by  almighty  power. 

"  I  come  next  to  speak  of  the  times  of  most  re- 
markable power  that  I  witnessed  in  these  towns.  It  began 
on  this  wise  :  there  had  been  a  week  day's  meeting  in 
Maidenhead,  on  July  24th,  1740.  Worship  seemed  to 
be  attended  with  much  warmth  of  affection,  which  gave 
much  encouragement  to  the  minister  again ;  for  luke- 
warmness  at  this  time  had  prevailed  very  much  among 
the  people,  and  the  affections  of  some  were  much  removed 
from  others  of  their  fellow  members,  neither  did  they  seem 
to  have  such  a  thirst  for  the  word  of  Grod  as  formerly. 
Things  had  come  to  this  pass  in  about  two  mouths;  but 
how  astonishing  it  is  to  consider  what  sweet  methods 
the  Lord  observed  to  remove  them  !  for,  as  the  peojjle  were 
21 


242  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

passing  homewards  through  the  town  after  worship,  some 
inclined  to  stop  at  one  of  the  Christian  liouses ;  and 
the  stopping  of  some  occasioned  others  to  stop  till  the 
number  was  about  forty ;  and  when  they  were  all  set 
in  the  house,  that  the  time  might  be  profitably  spent, 
the  first  part  of  the  fiftieth  psalm  was  sung,  which  seemed 
to  be  performed  with  unusual  quickening.  When  singing 
was  over,  the  same  verses  were  explained  at  some  length,  and 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  work  by  it  upon 
all  that  were  present,  as  far  as  we  could  discern  by  the 
outward  man,  and  much  converse  that  was  spent  among 
them  all  in  particular.  In  about  an  hour  afterwards, 
the  love  of  G-od's  people  that  were  present  was  uncom- 
monly inflamed  to  Jesus  Christ ;  their  views  of  his  majesty 
and  glory  were  much  enlarged,  their  longings  after  him 
much  stirred  up,  and  their  fear  of  him  graciously  in- 
creased; their  zeal  for  God's  glory  was  kindled  anew, 
and  their  concern  for  the  cause  of  God  seemed  to  receive 
much  growth ;  and  as  to  the  unconverted  that  were  present 
we  could  not  find  otherwise  but  that  they  had  received  very 
clear  discoveries  of  their  undone  state  by  nature. 

"  This  was  followed  with  the  mighty  power  of  God,  in  a 
sermon  next  evening,  to  a  large  congregation  in  the  same 
town.  And  in  Amwell,  July  27th,  and  in  Maidenhead 
again  on  August  3d,  God  was  pleased  to  magnify  his  grace 
in  visiting  many  poor  sinners.  In  these  opportunities  he 
opened  their  eyes  to  see  themselves  without  Christ,  and 
without  hope  in  the  world ;  their  convictions  were  attended 
with  great  horror  and  trembling,  and  loud  weeping,  which  I 
supposed  could  not  be  stopped  so  easily  as  some  do  imagine; 
for  I  observed  that  many  did  continue  crying  in  the  most 
doleful  manner  along  the  road  in  their  way  home,  and  it 
was  not  in  the  power  of  man  to  prevail  with  them  to  refrain, 
for  the  word  of  the  Lord  remained  like  fire  upon  their  hearts. 
Furthermore,  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  add  many  more  to  my 
people,  who  used  not  to  walk  with  them,  who  still  continue 
in  communion  with  them,  of  whom  I  hope  it  may  be  said, 
that  they  are  growing  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of 
Jesus  Christ.  The  seed  of  the  word  was  dropped  into  the 
hearts  of  others,  who  bore  not  much  regard  to  the  doctrine 
of  the  new-birth  which  was  preached  among  us,  and  did  not 
spring  up  visibly  until  near  three  years  after. 


THE    HEV.     JOHN    ROWLAND.  243 

"As  to  the  issue  of  these  convictions  which  I  have  last 
mentioned,  I  think  it  must  be  owned  that  many  of  them  were 
followed  with  a  sound  conversion,  or  else  we  must  give  up 
speaking  any  thing  as  to  any  grace  in  this  life.  Many  back- 
slided  and  became  stiff-necked  again,  though  I  must  say  that 
I  have  not  seen  such  backslidings  in  these  towns  as  I  have 
seen  in  many  others ;  the  instances  are  but  few  in  them  in 
comparison  to  what  I  have  seen  in  most  other  places  that  I 
have  been  acquainted  with.  One  great  means  to  prevent 
backsliding  from  convictions  in  Amwell  was  this :  when 
the  husband  was  taken,  the  wife  was  also  taken,  or  when  the 
wife  was  visited,  the  husband  was  also,  so  that  they  were 
ever  stirring  up  each  other.  Many  such  instances  are  in 
the  town  of  Amwell,  upon  which  account  that  congregation 
appears  to  me  peculiarly  beautiful;  and  as  to  Maidenhead 
and  Hopewell,  I  believe  that  one  great  means  that  the  Lord 
used  there  to  prevent  backsliding,  was  the  care  and  diligence 
of  some  of  the  Christian  people  in  conversing  with  the  con- 
vinced ',  for  several  of  the  Christians  were  so  engaged  in  deep 
concern  for  the  work  of  God,  that  they  could  not  rest  satis- 
fied until  they  had  reason  to  hope  that  the  souls  that  were 
convinced  from  one  time  to  another,  were  also  brought 
through  to  sound  conversion. 

"  Respecting  the  nature  of  this  work  which  I  have  been 
speaking  of,  it  will  appear  yet  more  distinct  by  giving  some 
account  of  their  experiences.  And  first,  I  would  speak 
something  more  of  their  convictions  ;  they  can  give  a  very 
difierent  account  of  sin,  both  original  and  actual ;  their  views 
of  heart  corruption,  their  distance  from  God,  and  their  having 
lived  so  long  without  him,  were  very  clear  and  affecting  j 
their  hardness  and  unbelief,  their  ignorance  and  blindness, 
pi-essed  very  close  upon  them;  their  need  of  Christ  and  his 
Spirit  was  such,  in  their  appi'ehension,  that  there  was  no 
rest  nor  contentment  to  be  taken  in  any  thing  here  below, 
until  they  did  obtain  an  interest  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  receive 
his  Spirit  to  purify  and  sanctify  their  hearts.  There  are  a 
few  among  them  whose  convictions  were  not  attended  with 
any  considerable  degree  of  horror ;  they  were  very  watchful 
over  themselves  lest  they  should  receive  false  comfort,  and 
so  rest  in  ungrounded  hopes ;  their  hunger  after  Jesus 
Christ,  his  righteousness,  and  all  his  fulness,  wasvery  earnest, 
and  their  experience  of  it  very  clear ;  therefore  they  wanted 


244  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

the  word  preached  often,  and  they  would  sit  under  it  with 
great  affection,  waiting  on  the  Lord.  Their  views  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  in  his  person,  nature  and  offices,  were  very 
clear,  and  their  acquaintance  with  the  actings  of  their  faith 
on  him,  together  with  the  out-going  of  their  souls  in  love 
towards  him.  They  can  give  a  satisfying  account  of  those 
things  according  to  the  holy  Scriptures.  Their  experience 
of  a  saving  closure  with  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  sweet  mani- 
festations they  had  of  him  at  the  time  of  spiritual  marriage, 
were  very  glorious,  and  their  affections  have  been  often 
stirred  afresh  towards  Jesus  Christ  in  meditating  on,  and 
speaking  of  their  espousals.  They  are  careful  to  maintain  a 
holy  communion  with  God  in  the  general  course  of  their 
lives.  I  have  seen  some  of  them  in  considerable  agonies 
when  they  have  been  under  the  hidings  of  God's  face,  so 
that  they  could  take  no  rest  by  any  means,  until  the  gra- 
cious Lord  would  be  pleased  to  shine  again  upon  them  with 
the  light  of  his  countenance.  They  are  properly  diligent  iu 
the  things  of  this  life,  yet  they  are  ready  to  attend  on  the 
word  of  God  on  any  opportunity  that  offers  to  them  on  week 
days. 

"  They  still  continue  zealous  for  God  and  his  truth ;  their 
walk  is  steady  in  the  ways  of  God,  and  not  unconstant  and 
uneven.  And  that  I  may  conclude  with  Hopewell  and 
Maidenhead,  I  would  say,  that  Jesus  Christ  has  gathered 
for  himself  a  blessed  flock  there ;  and  however  they  may  be 
vilified  and  scorned  by  those  who  have  their  portion  in  this 
life,  yet  I  hope  no  less  but  that  they  are  precious  with  God, 
and  shall  be  satisfied  with  the  pleasures  of  his  right  hand 
for  evermore.     Amen." 

After  some  time,  Mr.  Rowland  removed  from  New 
Jersey  into  Pennsylvania,  where  he  had  charge  of  a 
congregation  in  what  is  called  "  the  Great  Valley," 
and  also  of  Providence,  near  to  Norristown.  Much  of 
his  time,  however,  seems  to  have  been  spent  in  itiner- 
ating, and  preaching  from  place  to  place  during  the 
great  awakening  Avitli  which  the  churches  were  then 
visited. 

The  only  account  Avhich  we  have  of  Mr.  Rowland's 
labours  and  success  in  Pennsylvania,  is  given  by 
himself  in  his  narrative  sent  to  Mr.  Prince. 


THE    REV.    JOHN    ROWLAND.  245 

"In  the  year  174-,"  says  he,  "I  came  and  lived  iu 
Charlcstown,  Pennsylvania,  and  have  continued  according 
to  the  order  of  the  Presbytery,  preaching  among  them,  and 
the  people  of  New  Providence.  But  as  my  ministry  has 
been  chiefly  successful  at  the  latter  place,  since  I  came  into 
these  parts,  I  shall  only  speak  of  what  I  have  observed  of 
the  work  of  God  in  New  Providence. 

"  The  people  of  this  place,  before  1  came,  were  but  an 
ignorant  sort  of  people,  unacquainted  with  religion,  both  as 
to  principle  and  practice ;  and  though  they  would  pretend, 
some  to  be  of  one  denomination,  and  some  of  another,  yet 
a  vain  name  was  all.  Looseness  prevailed  much  in  the 
place,  and  there  was  not  one  to  speak  to  another  in  a  suit- 
able manner,  neither  of  the  vilcncss,  deformity,  and  unpro- 
fitableness of  the  ways  of  sin,  nor  of  the  glory  and  excel- 
lency, and  profitableness  of  the  ways  of  God.  I  know  not 
that  any  of  them  observed  family  prayer,  or  even  asked  a 
blessing  on  their  food.  This  was  the  case  among  them,  as 
they  told  me  at  several  times,  and  again  since  I  began  to 
•write  this  narrative.  The  conviction  and  conversion  of  the 
people  of  New  Providence  occurred  within  about  two  months 
of  one  another.  It  was  the  time  of  my  travelling  among 
them  that  the  Lord  chose  to  bless  for  their  ingathering  to 
Jesus  Christ;  and  since  I  have  laboured  statedly  among 
them,  it  has  been  as  much  my  endeavour  to  build  up  those 
who  were  called  into  the  fellowship  of  God,  as  to  convince 
sinners  of  their  misery,  and  to  this  end  my  labours  were 
blessed  again  among  them  throughout  the  year  174-.  As 
to  their  conviction  and  conversion  unto  God,  I  may  say, 
they  are  capable  to  give  a  scriptural,  account  of  these  things. 
I  forbear  to  speak  of  many  extraordinary  appearances,  such 
as  some  scores  crying  out  at  one  instant,  and  of  others 
falling  down  and  fainting. 

"  These  people  are  still  increasing,  and  blessed  be  the 
Lord,  they  are  endeavouring  to  walk  in  communion  with 
God,  and  with  one  another.  And  for  this  end,  they  meet 
in  society,  in  the  meeting  house,  two  or  three  hours  at  a 
time,  for  prayer  and  praise  ;  and  they  find  this  an  excellent 
means  to  prepare  them  for  tlio  holy  Sabbath.  They  arc 
careful  to  maintain  the  worship  of  God  in  their  families, 
and  to  use  all  agreeable  [proper]  means  to  increase  their 
own  knowledge  in  the  things  of  God. 

21* 


246  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

"  1  choose  to  say  no  more,  though  I  may  truly  say  that 
what  I  have  spoken  of  the  glorious  work  of  God  in  this 
place,  and  in  the  towns  of  Amwell,  Hopewell,  and  Maiden- 
head, is  but  a  very  little  to  what  I  might  have  said." 

There  is  one  circumstance  connected  with  this  revi- 
val in  New  Providence,  which  in  a  peculiar  manner  in- 
terests the  writer.  His  own  grandfather  and  grand- 
mother, then  residing  on  the  Schuylkill  above  Norris- 
town,  were  subjects  of  this  revival,  and  members  of  this 
church,  although  they  were  awakened  under  the  preach- 
ing of  Mr.  Whitefield,  at  White  Clay  Creek. 

Though  Mr.  Rowland  filled  a  considerable  space  in 
the  chui'ch  wdiile  he  lived,  as  he  was  a  Boanerges  in 
denouncing  the  terrors  of  the  law  against  impenitent 
sinners,  insomuch  that  he  acquired  among  the  irreli- 
gious, the  title  so  often  given  to  faithful  preachers, 
"  the  hell-fire  Rowland,"  yet  no  word  or  memorial  of 
the  close  of  his  life  remains.  He  seems  not  to  have 
been  married,  and  to  have  died  early. 

Here  we  may  remark,  that  none  of  the  distinguished 
ministers  of  that  period,  except  William  Tennent,  sen., 
reached  the  age  of  seventy ;  and  some  of  the  most  able 
and  successful  among  them  did  not  even  arrive  at  the 
age  of  forty.  Among  these  we  reckon  Samuel  Blair, 
Samuel  Davies,  Wm.  Robinson,  and  John  Rowland. 
These  men  may  be  said  to  have  lived  fast.  They  did 
much  for  their  Lord  in  a  short  time.  Being  burning 
as  well  as  shining  lights,  they  were  themselves  con- 
sumed, while  they  gave  light  to  others.  Oh  that  a 
race  of  ministers,  like-minded,  burning  with  a  con- 
suming zeal,  might  be  raised  up  among  us  ! 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THE    REV.  CHARLES    IBEATTY. 


Rev.  Charges  Beatty — Birth  and  education — Acts  as  a  pcdlor — Converses 
in  Latin  with  the  Founder  of  the  Log  College — Becomes  a  student  in 
the  Institution — Is  licensed  to  preach— Settles  at  Neshaminy — A  mis- 
sionary to  the  Indians — An  agent  for  the  Widows'  Fund — For  the  College 
of  New  Jersey — Goes  to  Barbadoes  and  dies  there — Mr.  Treat. 

The  Rev.  Charles  Beatt j  was  another  of  the  pupils 
of  the  Log  College,  whose  name  should  be  rescued  from 
oblivion. 

Mr.  Beatty  was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland, 
where  he  had  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  a  pretty  good 
classical  education,  but  being  of  an  adventurous  and 
enterprising  spirit,  when  quite  young  he  determine^to 
emigrate  from  the  land  of  his  nativity,  and  seek  his  ror- 
tune  in  America.  Being  destitute  of  property,  he 
adopted  the  plan  of  making  his  living  in  the  capacity 
of  a  pedler  or  travelling  merchant.  One  day,  in  the  prose- 
cution of  his  business,  he  called  at  the  Log  College,  and 
astonished  Mr.  Tennent,  the  principal,  by  addressing 
him  in  correct  Latin,  and  appeared  to  be  familiar  with 
that  language.  After  much  conversation,  in  which 
Mr.  Beatty  manifested  fervent  piety,  and  considerable 
religious  knowledge,  as  well  as  a  good  education  in  other 
respects,  Mr.  Tennent  said  to  him,  "  Go  and  sell  the 
contents  of  your  pack,  and  return  immediately  and 
study  with  me.  It  will  be  a  sin  for  you  to  continue 
a  pedler,  when  you  can  be  so  much  more  useful  in 
another  profession."  He  accepted  Mr.  Tenncnt's 
offer,  and  in  due  time  became  an  eminent  minister. 

(247) 


248  THE   LOG   COLLEGE. 

This  account  is  no  doubt  authentic,  as  it  is  taken  from 
Dr.  Miller's  Life  of  Dr.  Rodgers,  who  had  long  been 
intimately  acquainted  with  Mr.  Beatty. 

After  Mr.  Beatty  had  finished  his  studies  at  the 
Log  College,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel  by 
the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick ;  and  in  a  short  time 
afterwards,  was  settled  as  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Neshaminy,  left  vacant  by  the  death  of  the  venerable 
founder  of  the  Log  College.  About  this  time,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  publication  of  Brainerd's  journal  of 
missionary  labours  among  the  Indians,  a  missionary 
spirit  seems  to  have  been  enkindled  among  the  minis- 
ters of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  connection  with  the 
Synod  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey.  Under  this 
influence,  both  Mr.  Beatty  of  Neshaminy,  and  Mr. 
Treat  of  Abington,  left  their  congregations,  and  went 
on  a  mission  to  the  Indians.  In  Allen's  American 
Biographical  Dictionary,  it  is  stated  that  Mr.  Beatty 
was  engaged  in  missionary  work  from  1740  to  1765,  a 
period  of  twenty-five  years.  This  must  be  a  great 
mistake ;  Mr.  Beatty  was  not  in  the  ministry  so  early  as 
1740,  and  his  service  as  a  missionary  did  not  continue 
OM^ixth  of  the  time  specified.* 

J>lr.  Beatty  was  an  able,  evangelical  preacher,  and 
was  much  esteemed  for  his  private  virtues  and  public 
labours.  He  seems  to  have  possessed  much  of  a 
public  spirit,  and  a  popular  address;  for  he  was  twice 
employed  as  an  agent,  first  in  behalf  of  the  Widows' 
Fund,  established  for  the  benefit  of  the  families  of 
poor  Presbyterian  ministers.  This  agency  was  per- 
formed by  the  appointment  of  the  Synod,  and  oc- 
curred about  the  year  1761,  so  that  he  could  not  then 
have  been  on  a  mission  to  the  Indians.  Afterwards 
he  was  appointed  to  collect  funds  for  New  Jersey  Col- 
lege, and  in  pursuance  of  this  object  he  went  to  the 
island  of  Barbadoes,  Avhere  he  was  taken  sick,  and 
died  on  the   13th  of  August,  1772.     He   had  been 

*  See  Appendix  IV. 


THE    REV.    CHARLES    BEATTY.  249 

appointed  a  trustee  of  the  College  in  1763,  and  con- 
tinued its  ardent  friend  until  the  day  of  his  death ; 
and  indeed  he  sacrificed  his  life  in  endeavouring  to 
promote  its  prosperity. 

It  appears  from  the  college  records,  that  Dr.  With- 
erspoon  himself  had  been  appointed  to  visit  the  West 
Indies  to  collect  funds  for  the  college,  but  finding  it 
inconvenient  to  go  he  recommended  his  son,  James 
Witherspoon,  to  tlie  Board;  upon  which  this  gentle- 
man was  commissioned,  and  also  the  Rev.  Charles 
Beatty  to  accompany  him.  The  death  of  Mr.  Beatty 
frustrated  the  scheme,  as  upon  his  death  Mr.  Wither- 
spoon returned  home.  In  regard  to  Mr.  Beatty's 
death,  the  only  thing  on  record  in  the  minutes  of  the 
trustees,  in  whose  service  he  was  employed,  is  the 
following,  viz :  "  It  appearing  that  Mr.  Edward  Ire- 
land, in  Barbadoes,  had  showed  particular  kindness  to 
Mr.  Beatty,  ordered  that  W.  P.  Smith,  Esq.,  write  a 
letter  of  thanks  to  him  in  the  name  of  the  Board.'' 

As  Mr.  Treat,  minister  of  Abington,  though  not  edu- 
cated at  the  Log  College,  was  closely  associated  with 
the  members  of  the  New  Brunswick  Presbytery,  and 
sympathized  with  them  in  all  their  measures,  and  was 
one  of  those  cast  out  by  the  protest  of  the  majority  of 
the  members  of  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  it  may  be 
proper  to  say  of  him,  that  he  was  highly  esteemed  as  a 
preacher  and  as  a  man,  and  Avas  an  active  and  zealous 
promoter  of  the  revival.  He  and  Mr.  Beatty  were 
neighbours  in  their  fields  of  labour,  and  were  men  of 
a  like  spirit.  They  both  went  as  missionaries  to  the 
Indians,  and  were  devotedly  attached  to  the  Ilev. 
David  Braincrd ;  an  evidence  of  Avhich  we  have 
recorded  in  his  journal.  When  they  understood  that 
he  was  about  to  leave  the  work,  on  account  of  increas- 
ing ill  health,  they  travelled  all  the  way  to  Princeton 
to  see  him  before  he  left  New  Jersey. 

Mr.  Treat  is  mentioned  by  Mr.  Whitefield  in  his 
jom-nal^  as  a  minister  who  had  been  preaching  several 


250  THE    LOG    COLLEGE. 

years  without  any  acquaintance  with  experimental 
religion,  but  was  brought  under  deep  concei'n  for  his 
soul  by  hearing  Mr.  Whitefield  preach.  And  having, 
as  he  believed,  experienced  at  this  time  a  change  of 
heart,  he  became  very  zealous  in  preaching  the  doc- 
trines of-  grace,  and  warning  professors  against  the 
delusion  of  resting  on  a  mere  form  of  religion. 


APPENDIX  I. 


MR.     WILLIAM    TENNENT    S    LETTER, 


Fehruary  27,  1757. 

"  My  Dear  Brother  : — Yours  of  the  14th  of  January 
I  received  last  night.  It  was  precious  to  me,  as  it  seemed  to 
inflame  an  aifection  which  I  trust  shall  continue  throughout 
eternity.  How  sweet  is  love  to  the  brethren  !  How  re- 
freshing to  feel  that  what  we  have  is  no  further  our  own 
than  as  it  serves  to  glorify  Grod.  and  benefit  his  people  !  I 
never  questioned,  though  I  wondered  at  your  regard  for  me. 
But  to  pass  to  something  of  greater  importance.  I  went  to 
college  last  Monday,  having  heard  that  God  had  begun  a 
work  of  the  Spirit  there,  and  saw  as  astonishing  a  display  of 
God's  power  and  grace  as  I  ever  beheld  or  heard  of  in  the 
conviction  of  sinners.  Not  one  member  in  the  house  missed 
it  in  a  greater  or  lesser  degree.  The  whole  house  was  a 
Bochim.  A  sense  of  God's  holiness  wag  so  impressed  on 
the  hearts  of  its  inhabitants,  that  there  were  only  two  who 
were  esteemed  to  be  religious,  that  I  know  of,  whose  hopes 
were  not  greatly  shaken.  The  glorious  ray  reached  the 
Latin  school,  and  much  afi^ected  the  master  and  a  number  of 
the  scholars.  Nor  was  it  confined  to  the  students  only ; 
some  others  were  awakened.  I  spoke  with  all  the  members 
personally,  except  one  that  I  providentially  found,  the  most 
of  whom  inquired  with  anxious  solicitude  what  they  should 
do  to  be  saved,  according  to  the  example  of  the  trembling 
jailor.  .  .  I  never  saw  any  in  that  case  who  had  more 
clear  views  of  God,  themselves,  their  duty,  defects,  their 
impotence  and  misery,  than  they  had  in  general.  Every 
room  had  mourning  inhabitants ;  their  studies  witnessed  to 
their  prayers.  You  will  want  to  know  how  they  behaved. 
I   answer,  as   solemn   mourners  at  the  funeral  of  a  dear 


(251) 


252  APPENDIX. 

friend.  It  pleased  the  Lord  so  to  order  it  that  there  were 
no  public  outcries.  I  believe  there  never  was  in  any  house 
more  genuine  sorrow  for  sin  and  longing  for  Jesus.  The 
woi-k  so  far  exceeded  my  most  enlarged  expectations,  that  I 
was  lost  in  surprise,  and  constrained  often  to  say,  '  Is  it  so  ? 
Can  it  be  true  V  Nor  is  my  being  eye  and  ear  witness  from 
Monday  to  Friday  at  two  o'clock,  able  to  recover  me  from 
my  astonishment.  I  felt  as  the  apostles  when  it  was  told 
them  the  Lord  had  risen.  They  could  not  believe  through 
fear  and  great  joy.  Surely  the  good,  the  great  Jehovah,  is 
wise  in  counsel  and  wonderful  in  working.  I  can  truly  say 
that  my  reverend  brethren  and  myself  felt  no  small  degree 
of  that  pleasing  surprise  that  possessed  the  Israelites  in  their 
return  from  the  Babylonish  captivity,  mentioned  in  Psalm 
cxxvi :  '  When  the  Lord  turned  again  the  captivity  of  Zion, 
we  were  like  them  that  dream.  'The  Lord  hath  done 
great  things  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad.'' 

"  This  glorious  woi-k  was  gradual,  like  the  increasing  light 
of  the  morning.  It  was  not  begun  by  the  ordinary  means 
of  preaching,  nor  have  any  alarming  methods  been  used  to 
promote  this  religious  concern,  yetso  great  was  the  distress 
that  I  did  not  think  proper  to  use  any  arguments  of  terror 
in  public,  lest  some  should  sink  under  the  weight  of  their 
distress.  Notwithstanding,  I  found  by  conversing  with 
them,  that  a  wise  and  gracious  Providence  had  brought 
about  a  concurrence  of  different  incidents,  which  tended  to 
engage  them  to  a  serious  thoughtfulness  about  their  souls. 
These  things  considered  in  connection,  I  humbly  conceive, 
manifest  singularly  the  finger  of  Grod,  the  freeness  of  which 
grace  will  equally  appear  by  considering,  that  a  little  before 
this  gracious,  never  to  be  forgotten  visitation,  some  of  the 
youth  had  given  a  greater  loose  to  their  corruptions  than 
was  common  among  them — a  spirit  of  pride  and  contention, 
to  the  great  grief  and  almost  discouragement  of  the  worthy 
president.  There  was  little  or  no  motion  of  the  passions  in 
the  preachers  during  their  public  performances,  nor  any 
public  discourses  in  the  hours  allotted  for  study,  but  at  the 
morning  and  evening  prayers,  and  these  brief,  consisting  of 
plain  scriptural  directions,  proper  to  persons  under  spiritual 
trouble.  The  president  never  shone  in  my  eyes  as  he  does 
now.  His  good  judgment  and  humility,  his  zeal  and  integ- 
rity, greatly  endeared  him  to  me.     Before  I  came  away, 


APPENDIX.  253 

sevcnil  received  soraething  like  the  spirit  of  adoption,  being 
tenderly  affected  with  a  sense  of  redeeming  love,  and  thereby- 
disposed  and  determined  to  endeavour  after  holiness  in  all 
things. 

"  I  cannot  fully  represent  the  glorious  work.  It  will  bear 
your  most  enlarged  apprehensions  of  a  work  of  grace.  Let 
God  have  all  the  glory.  My  poor  children,  through  free 
grace,  partook  of  the  shower  of  blessing.  Eternally  praised  be 
my  God  and  Father,  who  has  herein  pitied  the  low  estate  of 
his  most  mean  and  worthless  servant,  in  graciously  granting 
me  my  desire.  This  to  me  is  a  tree  of  life;  yea,  it  is  to  my 
soul  as  if  I  had  seen  the  face  of  God.  I  left  them  in  dis- 
tress. They  are  in  the  hands  of  a  gracious  God,  to  whom  I  have 
long  since  devoted  them  with  all  my  heart  and  soul.  Seeing 
you  desire  to  know  their  names,  they  are  John  and  William. 
Perhaps  a  few  lines  from  you,  dear  brother,  might  be 
blessed  to  them.  Praying  our  sincerest  affection  to  Mrs.  Fin- 
ley,  I  greatly  need  your  prayers,  that  I  may  be  thankful 
and  faithful  unto  death.         I  am  yours, 

«  WM.  TENNENT,  Jr." 

■  22 


APPENDIX    II. 


THE    REV.     WILLIAM    TENNENTS    LETTER. 


The  Rev.  William  Tenncnt's  Letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Prince,  of  Boston, 
giving  the  chiiracter  of  the  revival  in  Freehold,  N.  J. 

The  following  letter  gives  an  interesting  account  of 
the  fruits  of  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  John  Tennent. 
It  is  taken  from  Prince's  Christian  History. 

Freehold.,  October  11th,  1744, 
"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir — I  desire  to  notice  thankfully  the 
late  rich  display  of  our  glorious  Emanuel's  grace,  in  subdu- 
ing by  his  word  and  Spirit  multitudes  of  sinners  to  himself, 
both  in  this  and  other  lands.  0  may  he  go  on  '  conquer- 
ing and  to  conquer/  until  he  has  subdued  all  things  unto 
himself!  Neither  can  I  think  but  that  the  writing  of  a 
history  of  the  great  things  our  Lord  has  done  among  us, 
has  a  tendency  to,  and  will,  by  the  blessing  of  Grod  ujion  it, 
excite  generations  yet  unborn  to  praise  his  glorious  name, 
and  thereby  his  honour  will  be  advanced,  and  his  triumphs 
increased  .  Most  gladly,  therefore,  do  I  comply  witli  your 
request,  and  herewith  send  such  an  account  as  I  can,  of 
what  the  Lord  has  done  among  us.  But  herein,  as  I  must 
be  very  general,  having  never  made  any  memorandums  in 
writing  of  the  Lord's  work  here,  so  I  trust  I  shall  be  strictly 
true,  for  the  Lord  hates  a  false  witness. 

''  This  place  lies  southwest  from  New  York,  and  is  dis- 
tant from  it  about  fifty  miles.  It  was  the  first  in  the  East 
Jersey,  on  the  west  side  of  the  llaritan  river,  which  wag 
settled  with  a  gospel  ministry.  This  was  owing,  under 
God,  to  the  agency  of  some  Scotch  people  that  came  to  it; 
among  whom  there  was  none  so  painful  in  this  blessed  un- 
(254) 


APPENDIX.  255 

dertaking  as  one  Walter  Kcr,  who,  in  the  year  1G85,  for 
his  faithful  ami  conscientious  adherence  to  God  and  his 
truth,  as  professed  by  the  Church  of  Scotland,  was  there 
apprehended  and  sent  to  this  country,  under  a  sentence  of 
perpetual  banishment.  By  which  it  appears  that  the  devil 
and  his  instruments  lost  their  aim  in  sending  him  from 
home,  where  it  is  unlikely  he  could  ever  have  been  so  ser- 
viceable to  Christ's  kingdom  as  he  has  been  here.  He  is 
yet  alive,  and  blessed  be  God,  he"  is  flourishing  in  his  old 
age,  being  in  his  88th  year. 

"But  to  return;  the  public  means  of  grace  dispensed 
here  were  at  first,  for  a  season,  too  much  like  a  miscarrying 
womb  and  dry  breasts,  so  that  the  major  part  of  the  con- 
wref'ation  could  not  be  said  to  have  so  much  as  a  name  to 
five*!^  Family  prayer  was  unpractised  by  all,  a  very  few  ex- 
cepted;  ignorance  so  overshadowed  their  minds,  that  the 
doctrine  of  the  new  birth,  when  clearly  explained,  and  pow- 
erfully pressed  upon  them,  as  absolutely  necessary  to  salva- 
tion (by  that  faithful  preacher  of  God's  word,_  Mr.  Theo- 
dorus  Jacobus  Frelinghuysen,  a  Low  Dutch  minister,  and 
some  other  English  ministers  who  were  occasionally  here,) 
was  made  a  common  game  of;  so  that  not  only  the  preachers, 
but  professors  of  that  truth,  were  called  in  derision  neto- 
lorn,  and  looked  upon  as  holders  forth  of  some  new  and 
false  doctrine.  And,  indeed,  their  practice  was  as  bad  as 
their  principles,  viz.  loose  and  profane. 

<'  In  the  year  1729,  their  minister  removed  from  them, 
and  they  were  so  grievously  divided  among  themselves,  that 
it  appeared  improbable  they  would  ever  agree  in  the  settle- 
ment of  another.  In  this  miserable,  helpless,  and  almost 
hopeless  condition  they  lay,  and  few  among  them  had  either 
eyes  to  see,  or  hearts  to  bewail,  their  woful,  wretched  circum- 
stances. Thus  they  seemed  to  be  cast  out,  as  the  prophet 
Ezekiel  represents  it  in  the  IGth  chapter  of  his  book,  and 
5th  verse.  But  the  Lord,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  of  his  un- 
expected and  unmerited  love,  passed  by  them  lying  in  their 
blood,  and  said  unto  many  of  them  since  that  day.  Live; 
and  live  they  shall  to  all  eternity. 

«  About  this  time,  my  dear  brother  John  (who  is  now 
with  Jesus)  was  licensed  as  a  candidate  for  the  sacred  min- 
istry, a  youth  whom  the  Author  of  every  good  gift  had  un- 
commonly furnished  for  that  important  trust.     To  him  ap- 


256  APPENDIX. 

plication  was  made  by  some  of  the  congregation,  entreating 
that  he  would  supply  them  for  a  time,  to  which,  with  the 
leave  of  the  Presbytery,  he  x3onsented.  But  ere  he  went, 
he  often  told  me,  that  he  was  heartily  sorry  he  had  engaged 
to  go  among  them,  for  it  seemed  to  him  that  they  were  a 
people  whom  Grod  had  given  up  for  their  abuse  of  the  gos- 
pel. But  the  Lord's  thoughts  are  not  our  thoughts,  nor 
his  ways  our  ways,  for  when  he  had  preached  four  or  five 
Sabbaths  in  the  place,  which  was  the  whole  time  he  tarried 
among  them  at  first,  the  Lord  so  blessed  his  labours,  engag- 
ing people  to  attend  to  the  things  which  were  spoken,  and 
in  stirring  them  up  to  search  the  Scriptures  whether  these 
things  were  so  or  not,  and  withal  enabling  him  to  preach  to 
them  with  such  uncommon  freedom  and  earnestness,  that  he 
told  me  he  was  fully  persuaded  Christ  Jesus  had  a  large  har- 
vest to  bring  home  there ;  so  that,  though  they  were  a  poor 
broken  people,  yet  if  they  called  him,  he  would  settle  among 
them,  albeit  he  should  be  put  to  beg  his  bread  by  so  doing. 
April  the  15th.  1730,  the  congregation  unanimously  called 
him;  which  he  accepting  of,  was  ordained  the  19th.  of  No- 
vember following,  and  continued  with  them  until  April  23d, 
1732,  and  was  then  translated  to  glory. 

'^  During  this  short  time  his  labours  were  greatly  blessed, 
so  that  the  place  of  public  worship  was  usually  crowded 
with  people  of  all  ranks  and  orders,  as  well  as  professions, 
that  obtained  in  that  part  of  the  country,  and  they  seemed  to 
hear  generally  as  for  their  lives ;  yea,  such  as  were  wont  to 
go  to  those  places  for  their  diversion,  viz.  to  hear  news  or 
speak  to  their  tradesmen,  &c.,  even  on  the  Lord's  day,  as 
they  themselves  have  since  confessed,  were  taken  in  the  gos- 
pel net.  A  solemn  awe  of  God's  majesty  possessed  many, 
so  that  they  behaved  themselves  as  at  his  bar  while  in  his 
house.  Many  tears  were  usually  shed  when  he  preached, 
and  sometimes  the  body  of  the  congregation  was  moved  or 
afi'ected.  I  can  say,  and  let  the  Lord  alone  have  the  glory 
of  it,  that  I  have  seen  both  minister  and  people  wet  with 
their  tears,  as  with  a  bedewing  rain.  It  was  no  uncommon 
thing  to  see  persons  in  the  time  of  hearing,  sobbing  as  if 
their  hearts  would  break,  but  without  any  public  outcry, 
and  some  have  been  carried  out  of  the  assembly  (being  over- 
come) as  if  they  had  been  dead. 

"Keligiou  was  then  the  general  subject  of  discourse, 


APPENDIX.  257 

though  they  did  not  all  approve  the  power  of  it.  The  holy 
Bible  was  searched  by  people  on  both  sides  of  the  question, 
and  knowledge  surprisingly  increased.  The  terror  of  God  full 
generally  upon  the  inhabitants  of  this  place,  so  that  wicked- 
ness as  ashamed  in  a  great  measure  hid  itself;  frolicking, 
dancing,  horse-racing,  with  other  profane  meetings,  were 
broken  up.  Some  of  the  jolly  companions  of  both  sexes  were 
constrained  by  their  consciences  to  meet  together,  the  men  by 
themselves,  and  the  women  by  themselves,  to  confess  pri- 
vately their  abominations  before  God,  and  beg  the  pardon 
of  them. 

"  Before  my  brother's  death,  by  reason  of  his  -bodily 
weakness,  and  inability  on  that  account  to  officiate  publicly, 
I  preached  here  about  six  months ;  in  which  time  many 
came  inquiring  what  they  should  do  to  be  saved,  and  some 
to  tell  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  their  souls.  But  the 
blessing  on  his  labours  to  the  conviction  and  conversion  of 
souls  was  more  discernible  some  months  after  his  death, 
than  at  any  time  in  his  life.  Almost  in  every  neighbourhood,  I 
cannot  say  in  every  house,  there  were  sin-sick  souls  longing 
for  and  seeking  after  the  dear  physician,  Jesus  Christ; 
several  of  whom,  I  no  ways  doubt,  have  since  that  time  sin- 
cerely closed  with  him,  and  are  healed ;  glory,  glory  to  his 
holy  name  be  given,  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen  ! 

**  Some  time  after  my  brother's  decease,  the  congregation 
called  me  to  labour  among  them  statedly,  which  I  accepted, 
and  was  ordained  October  25th,  1733.  Thus  my  Lord  sent 
me  to  reap  that  on  which  I  had  bestowed  but  little  labour. 
May  this  consideration  be  blessed  to  make  me  thankful  and 
humble  while  I  live. 

"  I  must  further  declare,  to  the  honour  of  God,  that  he 
has  not  yet  left  us,  although  awfully  prOvoked  by  our  cry- 
ing crimes ;  but  ever  since  that  more  remarkable  outpouring 
of  his  Spirit  has  continued  to  bless  his  own  ordinances,  to 
the  convincion,  conversion  and  consolation  of  precious  souls, 
so  that  every  year  some,  more  or  less,  have  been  in  a  judg- 
ment of  charity  added  (savingly)  to  his  mystical  body ;  to 
his  holy  name  be  all  the  glory.  In  the  meantime,  I  would 
have  it  observed,  that  two  or  three  years  last  past  have 
afforded  fewer  instances  of  this  kind  than  formerly.  How- 
ever, through  grace  some  have  been  lately  awakened  who 
are  even  now  seeking  Jesus  sorrowing.     What  the  number 


258  APPENDIX. 

is  of  those  who  have  tasted  the  sweet  fruits  of  the  Ke- 
deemei-'s  pm-chase  in  a  saving  manner,  in  this  congregation, 
I  cannot  tell.  It  is  my  comfort  that  the  Lord  will  reckon 
them,  for  he  knows  who  are  his ;  and  indeed  none  but  the 
omniscient  Grod  is  equal  to  the  difficult  province  of  deter- 
mining certainly  concerning  the  internal  states  of  men.  Yet 
I  may  be  bold  to  say,  that  to  all  appearance,  both  old  and 
young,  males  and  females,  have  been  renewed,  though  none 
so  young  as  I  have  heard  of  in  some  other  places.  Some 
negroes,  I  trust,  are  made  free  in  Christ,  and  more  seem  to 
be  unfeignedly  seeking  after  it.  But  after  all  that  the  Lord 
has  been  pleased  to  do  among  us,  I  am  persuaded  that  the 
greater  number  by  far  are  yet  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and 
bond  of  iniquity.  "This  makes  me  sometimes  ready  to  wish 
that  I  had  in  the  wilderness  the  lodging-place  of  a  way- 
faring man,  that  I  might  leave  my  people  and  go  from 
them ;  or  rather  that  my  head  were  waters,  and  mine  eyes 
a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I  might  weep  day  and  night  for 
them  !  Such  as  have  been  converted  were  every  one  of 
them  prepared  for  it  by  a  sharp  law-work  of  conviction,  dis- 
covering to  them  in  a  heart-affecting  manner  their  sinfulness 
both  by  nature  and  practice,  as  well  as  their  liableness  to 
damnation  for  their  original  and  actual  transgressions. 
Neither  could  they  see  any  way  in  themselves  by  which 
they  could  escape  the  Divine  vengeance,  for  that  their  whole 
life  past  was  not  only  a  continued  act  of  rebellion  against 
Grod,  but  their  present  endeavours  to  better  it,  such  as 
prayers,  &c.,  were  so  imperfect  that  they  could  not  endure 
them,  and  much  less  they  concluded  would  a  holy  God. 
They  all  confessed  the  justice  of  Grod  in  their  eternal  per- 
dition, and  thus  have  been  shut  up  to  the  blessed  necessity 
of  seeking  relief  by  faith  in  Christ  alone.  It  would  be  end- 
less to  mention  the  evils  they  complained  of,  viz.,  ignorance, 
unbelief,  hardness  of  heart,  hatred  against  God,  his  laws 
and  people,  worldliness,  wandering  of  heart  in  duty,  pride, 
sensuality,  sloth,  &c.  With  what  grief,  shatue,  and  self- 
loathing  have  I  heard  them  bewail  their  loss  of  time,  and 
neglect  of  the  great  gospel  salvation.  Those  that  were  com- 
municants before  their  awakening,  have  with  trembling  de- 
clared that  their  unworthy  partaking  grieved  them  more 
than  anything  ever  they  did,  for  hereby  they  had  as  it  were 
murdered  the  Lord.     It  is  almost  incredible  to  relate  the 


APPENDIX.  259 

indignation  that  such  awakened  sinners  expressed  against 
themselves,  on  the  account  of  their  sinfuhiesg.  They  looked 
upon  themselves  to  be  mere  monsters  of  nature,  and  that 
none  were  worse,  if  any  so  bad.  Others  signified  that  they 
could  not  find  their  pictures  out  of  hell,  and  that  they  were 
just  fit  companions  for  the  damned,  and  none  else.  Let  it 
be  here  noted,  that  some  who  have  expressed  themselves  in 
the  manner  I  have  mentioned,  were  before  taken  for  believ- 
ers both  by  themselves  and  others,  being  sober  and  regular 
in  their  walk. 

*'  The  sorrows  of  the  convinced  were  not  all  alike,  either 
in  degree  or  continuance.  Some  have  not  thought  it  possi- 
ble for  them  to  be  saved,  if  God  would  vindicate  the  honour 
of  his  justice ;  but  these  thoughts  continued  not  long  at  a 
time,  blessed  be  God.  Others  thought  it  was  possible,  but 
not  very  probable,  because  of  their  vileness.  The  greatest 
degree  of  hope  which  any  had,  under  a  conviction  that  issued 
well,  was  a  may-be ;  '  peradventure,  or  may-be,  God  will  have 
mercy  on  me,'  said  the  sinner.  Some,  in  coming  to  Jesus, 
have  been  much  rent  with  blasphemous  and  other  horrible 
temptations,  which  have  turned  their  moisture  into  the 
drought  of  summer,  who  now  through  pure  grace  serve 
God  without  such  distractions,  in  gladness  and  singleness  of 
heart.  The  conviction  of  some  has  been  instantaneous ;  by 
the  Holy  Spirit's  applying  the  law  to  the  conscience,  and 
discovering  to  the  eye  of  the  understanding,  as  it  were,  all 
their  heart  deceits  very  speedily,  by  which  they  have  been 
stabbed  as  with  a  sword.  But  the  conviction  of  others  has 
been  in  a  more  progressive  way.  They  have  had  discovered 
to  them  one  abomination  after  another  in  life,  and  from 
thence  were  led  to  behold  the  fountain  of  all  corruption 
in  the  heart ;  and  thus  they  were  constrained  to  despair  of 
life  by  the  law,  and  consequently  to  flee  to  Jesus  as  the 
only  door  of  hope,  and  so  rest  entirely  on  his  merit  for  sal- 
vation. 

"  After  the  aforesaid  sorrowful  exercises,  such  as  were 
reconciled  to  God  have  been  blessed  with  the  Spirit  of  adop- 
tion, enabling  them  to  cry  Abba,  Father.  But  some  have 
had  greater  degrees  of  consolation  than  others,  in  proportion 
to  the  clearness  of  the  evidences  of  their  sonship.  The 
Lord  has  drawn  some  out  of  the  horrible  pit  of  distress  and 
darkness,  and  brought  them  into  the  light  of  his  countenance. 


260  APPENDIX. 

He  has  filled  their  hearts  with  joy,  and  their  mouths  -with 
praises ;  yea,  giyen  them  the  full  assurance  of  faith.  Others 
have  been  brought  to  peace  in  believing,  but  have  not  had 
so  great  a  plerophory  of  joy,  yet  they  go  on  in  a  religious 
course,  trusting  in  the  Lord.  The  way  they  have  been  com- 
forted is  either  by  the  application  of  some  particular  promise 
of  holy  Scripture,  or  by  a  soul-affecting  view  of  the  way  of 
salvation  by  Christ,  as  free,  without  money  and  without 
price.  They  were  enabled  to  behold  the  valuable  mercies 
of  the  covenant  of  grace,  freely  tendered  to  the  vilest  trans- 
gressors, that  were  poor  in  their  own  eyes,  sin-sick,  weary 
and  wounded,  together  with  the  ability  and  willingness  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  to  relieve  them  from  all  the  evils  they  either 
feared  or  felt.  With  this  way  of  salvation  their  souls  were 
well  pleased,  and  thereupon  have  ventured  their  case  into 
his  hands,  expecting  help  from  him  only  who  has  given 
them  both  peace  and  rest;  yea,  filled  some  of  them  with  joy 
unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.  I  remember  not  of  any  that 
received  their  first  comforts  otherwise.  Some  few  have  re- 
tained their  confidence  in  Clod  ever  since,  without  any  con- 
siderable questionings  of  their  state,  although  they  have  not 
always  tasted  the  comforts  of  it.  But  the  most  by  far,  have 
questioned  all,  and  doubted  it  was  a  delusion.  This  I  sup- 
pose is  generally  owing  to  the  remains  of  corruption,  which 
blot  the  evidences  of  grace  in  good  men,  so  that  they  can 
hardly  read  them,  and  particularly  to  the  awful  sin  of  unbe- 
lief 3  together  with  the  prevalence  of  a  legal  spirit,  which 
presses  them  to  perfect  holiness  on  pain  of  death,  and  because 
they  cannot  obtain  that,  they  conclude  they  are  unsauctified, 
and  have  no  right  to  Christ.  I  might  add  the  ignorance  of 
sanctification ;  they  seem  to  think  that  in  the  justified  sin  is 
killed  in  its  being,  as  well  as  governing  power ;  and  there- 
fore, because  they  feel  their  old  sins  sometimes  stirring  in 
them,  they  conclude  that  all  is  wrong ;  nay,  although  they 
hate  the  doctrine  of  perfection  as  held  by  some,  yet  because 
they  are  not  perfect  they  think  they  have  no  grace.  But 
however  distressing  it  is  to  them  to  feel  their  imperfections, 
it  helps  to  persuade  me  that  they  are  regenerate,  else  it 
would  not  be  so ;  sin  would  not  be  their  chief  burden  in  a 
general  way 

*'  However,  our  Lord,  who  comforts  those  that  are  cast 
down,  even  the  Wonderful  Counsellor,  teaches   them  that 


J  APPENDIX.  2G1 

be  not  only  saves  those  who  have  been  sinners  before 
conversion,  but  even  such  as  after  it  find  a  law  in  their 
members  warring  against  the  law  of  their  minds,  which 
too  often  causes  them  to  do  the  things  they  would  not ; 
and  enables  them  to  reflect  upon  what  they  have  and 
do  daily  experience,  and  compare  it  with  the  evidences 
of  grace  in  the  word  of  God.  The  blessed  Grod  does 
likewise  give  them  renewed  tastes  of  his  love,  even  after 
missteps;  and  thus  they  are  established  in  faith  and 
hope,  so  that  they  have  a  prevailing  persuasion  of  their 
interest  in  Christ,  except  it  be  in  times  of  desertion  and 
temptation,  with  which  some  are  more  exercised  than 
others,  for  reasons  best  known  to  a  sovereign  God. 

"  Doubtless,  sir,  you  will  desire  to  know  what  effects 
this  work  produces  on  the  minds  and  manners  of  its 
subjects.  I  answer,  they  are  not  only  made  to  know,  but 
heartily  to  approve  of,  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel, 
which  they  were  before  either  ignorant,  of  or  averse  to,  (at 
least  some  of  them)  so  that  they  do  harmonize  sweetly 
in  exalting  free,  special,  and  sovereign  grace,  through 
the  Redeemer  Jesus  Christ,  being  willing  to  glory  only  in 
the  Lord,  who  has  loved  them  and  given  himself  for  them, 
an  offering  and  a  sacrifice  of  a  sweet-smelling  savour. 

''  I  cannot  express  with  what  satisfaction  I  have  heard 
them  speak  of  the  new  covenant  method  of  salvation. 
They  have  spoken  with  such  affection  and  clearness  as 
I  have  thought  was  sufficient  to  convince  an  atheist  that 
the ,  Lord  was  their  teaclier.  The  alteration  in  some, 
from  almost  gross  ignorance  to  such  clear  gospel  light, 
and  in  others  from  such  corrupt  principles  as  the  Papists 
and  Quakers  hold,  to  the  believing  acknowledgment  of 
the  truth,  none  but  he  that  made  the  understanding  could 
effect.  They  approve  of  the  law  of  God  after  the  in- 
ward man,  as  holy,  just  and  good,  and  prize  it  above 
gold,  yea,  much  fine  gold.  They  judge  it  their  duty 
as  well  as  privilege  to  wait  on  God  in  all  the  ordinances 
of  his  own  institution,  although  they  expect  to  merit 
nothing  thereby.  A  reverence  for  God's  commanding 
authority,  and  gratitude  for  his  love,  conspire  to  incite 
and  constrain  them  to  a  willing,  unfeigned, .  universal 
and  unfainting  obedience  to  his  laws;  yet  they  declare 
that   in  everything   they  come  sadly   short  of  what  they 


2G2  APPENDIX. 

ought  to  do,  and  bitterly  bewail  their  defects.  But 
blessed  be  Grod,  they  are  not  discouraged  in  their  endeavours 
to  reach  forward,  if  by  any  means  they  may  apprehend  that 
for  which  they  are  apprehended  of  Grod ;  and  in  all  things 
they  acknowledge  that  they  ought  to  look  to  Jesus  as  the 
author  and  finisher  of  faith,  whose  alone  it  is  to  work 
all  good  in  them  and  for  them,  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever. 
They  are  not  unmolested  in  their  way  by  enemies,  both 
from  within  and  from  without.  Yet  they  profess  that 
the  comforts  which  they  receive  do  more  than  compen- 
sate all  their  labour,  were  there  no  good  to  be  expected 
hereafter ;  and  surely,  as  the  psalmist  observes,  '  in  keeping 
God's  commands  thei-e  is  a  great  reward.'  But  to  proceed  : 
"They  have  not  all  made  alike  proficiency  in  the  Chris- 
tian course,  neither  are  they  all  equal  in  religious  en- 
deavours, nor  any  at  all  times  alike  lively.  They  are 
sometimes  obstructed  in  their  religious  progress  by  cold- 
ness and  deadness ;  but  this  the  blessed  Jesus  removes 
at  times,  by  the  influence  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  then,  0  then, 
their  hearts  are  enlarged,  and  they  run  the  sweet  way  of 
God's  commandments  with  alacrity  and  delight ;  they  love 
all  such  as  they  have  reason  to  think,  from  their  principles, 
experience  and  practice,  are  truly  godly,  though  they  differ 
from  them  in  sentiment  in  lesser  things,  and  look  on  them 
to  be  the  excellent  of  the  earth.  They  rejoice  in  Zion's 
prosperity,  glorifying  God  on  that  account,  and  feel  a 
sympathy  in  her  sorrows.  They  do  prefer  one  another 
before  themselves  in  love,  except  under  temptation,  which 
they  are  ready  to  confess  and  bewail,  when  they  are 
themselves  generally  accounting  that  they  are  the  meanest 
of  the  family  of  God,  and  unworthy  of  the  blessing;  yea, 
the  most  so  of  any  living,  all  things  considered.  In  a 
word  the  sapless  formalist  is  become  spiritual  in  his 
conversation ;  the  proud  and  haughty  are  made  humble 
and  afiable;  the  wanton  and  vile,  sober  and  temperate; 
the  swearer  honours  that  venerable  name  he  was  wont 
to  profane,  and  blesses,  instead  of  cursing ;  the  sabbath- 
breaker  is  brought  to  be  a  strict  observer  of  holy  time; 
the  worldling  now  seeks  treasures  in  the  heavens ;  the 
extortioner  now  deals  justly,  and  the  formerly  malicious 
forgives  injuries;  the  praycrless  are  earnest  and  inces- 
sant  in   acts   of    devotion,   and   the   sneaking   self-seeker 


APPENDIX.  263 

endeavours  the  advancement  of  God's  glory,  and  the 
salvation  of  immortal  souls. 

"  Through  Grod's  mercy  we  have  been  quite  free  from 
enthusiasm ;  our  people  have  followed  the  holy  law  of 
God,  the  sure  word  of  prophecy,  and  not  the  impulses 
of  their  own  minds.  There  have  not  been,  that  I  know 
of,  among  us,  any  visions,  except  such  as  are  by  faith, 
namely,  clear  and  affecting  views  of  the  new  and  living 
way  to  the  Father  through  his  dear  Son  Jesus  Christ ;  nor 
any  revelations  but  what  have  been  long  since  written 
in  the  sacred  volume ;  nor  any  trances  but  such  as  all 
men  now  Jiving  shall  meet  with,  for  it  is  appointed  for 
all  men  once  to  die. 

"  It  may  not  be  amiss  to  inform  you,  that  many  who 
have  been  awakened,  and  seemed  for  a  time  to  set  out  for 
Zion,  are  turned  back.  Yea,  of  those  who  have  been  es- 
teemed converts,  some  have  made  shipwreck  of  faith  and  a 
good  conscience ;  though,  glory  to  God,  there  have  not 
been  many  such,  yet  some  of  them  who  have  thus  awfully 
apostatized  were  highly  esteemed  in  the  church.  By  this, 
our  good  and  gracious  God  has  given  check  to  too  high  an 
esteem  of  our  own  judgment  concerning  the  spiritual  states 
of  others,  (an  evil  which  is  too  common  among  young  con- 
verts) and  awfully  warned  all  that  stand  to  take  heed  lest 
they  fall.  Many,  I  have  cause  to  fear,  have  been  hardened 
in  their  impieties  and  unreasonable  prejudices  against  vital 
religion,  by  the  backslidings  of  some  professors.  '  Woe  to 
the  world,  because  of  oifences  !'  But  in  the  mean  time, 
blessed  be  God,  wisdom  is  and  will  be  justified  of  her 
children. 

"  This,  sir,  is  as  particular  an  account  as  I  can  at  pre- 
sent give  of  the  Lord's  work  in  this  place.  If  my  Lord 
will  accept  it  as  a  testimony  for  him,  it  will  be  a  greater 
honour  than  ever  I  deserved.  I  need  your  prayers,  and 
earnestly  desire  them.  0  beg  of  God  that  I  may  be  faith- 
ful to  the  death,  and  wise  to  win  souls.  I  am  with  all  due 
respects,  yours  in  the  dearest  Jesus,       Wm.  Tennent." 

"  Attestation    to  the  j^^'ccedmff  Account   hy  the   Ruling 
Elders  and  Deacons  of  the  Conyreyation  vf  Freehold. 

"  We  the  subscribers,  Ruling  Elders  and  Deacons  of  the 
Presbyterian  congregation  of  Freehold,  having  had  perfect 


264  APPENDIX. 

knowledge  of  the  circumstances  of  this  place,  some  of  us 
from  the  first  settling  of  it,  and  others  of  a  long  time,  do 
give  our  testimony  to  the  truth  in  general,  of  the  above 
letter  of  our  Rev.  pastor.  May  the  Lord  make  the  same 
of  use  for  the  carrying  on  his  glorious  work  begun  in  these 
lands,  and  make  the  name  of  the  dearest  Jesus  glorious 
from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun. 

Walter  Ker,  Robert  Gumming, 

David  Rhea,  John  Henderson, 

William  Ker,  Samuel  Ker. 

Freehold,  in  New  Jersey,  October  11th;  1744." 


APPENDIX   III. 

MK.     DICKINSON'S     LETTER, 
ADDRESSED    TO   THE    REV.    MR.    FOXCROFT,    OF   LONDON. 

"Elizabethtown,  Aug.  23r?,  17-43. 
"  In  these  towns,  religion  was  in  a  very  low  state ;  profes- 
sors generally  lifeless,  and  the  body  of  our  people  careless, 
carnal  and  secure,  till  some  time  in  August,  1739,  the  sum- 
mer before  Mr.  Whitpfield  came  first  into  these  parts,  when 
there  was  a  remarkable  revival  at  Newark,  especially  among 
the  rising  generation ;  many  of  whom  were  now  brought 
under  convictions,  and  instead  of  frequenting  vain  company 
as  usual,  were  flocking  to  their  minister  with  that  important 
inquiry,  '  what  shall  we  do  to  be  saved  ?'  This  concern  in- 
creased for  a  considerable  time  among  the  young  (though 
not  wholly  confined  to  them),  and  in  November,  December, 
and  .January  following,  it  became  more  remarkable  as  well 
as  more  general.  There  was  an  apparent  reformation  among 
the  youth  of  the  town ;  their  customary  tavern-haunting, 
frolicking,  and  other  youthful  extravagancies  were  now  laid 
aside ;  a  new  face  of  things  appeared  in  the  town  ;  all  occa- 
sions of  religious  conversation  were  improved  with  delight ; 
a  seriousness,  solemnity,  and  devout  attention  appeared  in 
their  public  assemblies,  and  a  solemn  concern  about  their 
eternal  welfare  was  visible  in  the  very  countenances  of  many. 
This  revival  of  religion  was  chiefly  observable  among  the 
younger  people  till  the  following  March,  when  the  whole 
town  in  general  was  bi'ought  under  an  uncommon  concern 
about  their  eternal  interests,,  and  the  congregation  appeared 
universally  aff"ected  under  some  sermons  that  were  then 
preached  to  them ;  and  there  is  good  reason  to  conclude  that 
tliei-e  was  a  considerable  number  who  experienced  a  saving 
chinge  about  that  time.  The  summer  following,  this 
awakening  concern  .sensibly  abated,  though  it  did  not  wholly 
die  away ;  and  nothing  remarkable  occurred  till  February, 
23  ^  (205) 


266  APPENDIX. 

1740-41,  when  they  were  again  visited  with  the  special  and 
manifest  effusions  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  A  plain,  familiar 
sermon  then  preached,  without  any  peculiar  terror,  fervour, 
or  aifectionate  manner  of  address,  was  set  home  with  power. 
Many  were  brought  to  see  and  feel  that  till  then  they  had 
no  more  than  a  name  to  live ;  and  professors  in  general  were 
put  upon  serious  and  solemn  inquiries  into  the  foundation  of 
their  hope.  There  seemed  to  be  very  few  in  the  whole  con- 
gregation but  who  felt  more  or  less  the  power  of  Grod  at  this 
happy  season,  though  the  greatest  concern  now  appeared 
among  the  rising  generation.  There  is  good  reason  to  con- 
clude that  there  were  a  greater  number  now  brought  home 
to  Christ  than  in  the  former  gracious  visitation.  It  was 
remarkable  at  this  season  that  as  sinners  were  generally 
under  an  awakening,  distressing  sense  of  their  guilt  and 
danger,  so  the  children  of  God  were  greatly  refreshed  and 
comforted;  their  souls  were  magnifying  the  Lord,  and  re- 
joicing in  God  their  Saviour,  while  others,  in  distressing 
agony,  were  crying  out,  '  Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we 
do?' 

"  In  the  summer  following,  this  religious  concern  sensibly 
decayed ;  though  the  sincere  converts  now  held  fast  their 
profession  without  wavering,  yet  there  were  too  many  who 
had  been  under  convictions  that  grew  careless  and  secure ; 
and  all  endeavours  proved  ineffectual  to  give  new  life  to 
their  former  solicitude  about  their  eternal  welfare.  What 
seemed  greatly  to  contribute  to  this  (now  growing)  security 
among  these,  was  the  pride,  false  and  rash  zeal,  and  censo- 
riousness,  which  appeared  among  some  few  at  this  time 
who  made  high  pretences  to  religion.  This  opened  the 
mouths  of  many  against  the  whole  work,  and  raised  that 
opposition  which  was  not  before  heard  of;  almost  every 
body  seeming  to  acknowledge  the  finger  of  God  in  these 
wonderful  appearances,  till  this  handle  was  given   to  their 

opposition.     And  the  dreadful  scandals  of  Mr.  C ,  which 

came  to  light  about  tliis  time,  proved  a  means  to  still  fur- 
ther harden  many  in  their  declension  and  apostacy.  That 
unhappy  gentleman  having  made  so  high  pretensions  to  ex- 
traordinary piety  and  zeal,  his  scandals  gave  the  deeper 
wound  to  vital  and  experimental  godliness.  Thus,  sir,  I 
have  faithfully  given  you  a  narrative,  in  some  brief  and 
general  hints,  of  the  late  revival  of  religion  at  Newark,  and 


APPENDIX.  267 

shall  now  proceed  to  give  you  a  brief  view  of  the  like  mani- 
festations of  the  Divine  grace  at  Elizabethtown. 

"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  preached  a  sermon  here  in  the 
fall  of  the  year  1739,  to  a  numerous  and  attentive  auditory ; 
but  I  could  observe  no  further  influence  upon  our  people  by 
that  address,  than  a  general  thoughtfulness  about  religion, 
and  a  promptitude  to  make  the  extraordinary  zeal  and  dili- 
gence of  that  gentleman  the  common  and  turning  topic  of 
their  conversation.  I  do  not  know  that  there  was  any  one 
person  brought  under  conviction,  or  any  new  and  special 
concern  about  their  salvation  by  that  sermon  ;  nor  more 
than  one  by  any  endeavours  that  were  used  with  them  that 
fall,  or  the  succeeding  winter.  Though  there  was  such  a 
shaking  among  the  dry  bones  so  near  to  us,  as  is  above  re- 
presented, and  we  had  continual  accounts  from  Newark  of 
the  growing  distress  among  their  people,  (their  young  peo- 
ple especially)  our  congregation  remained  yet  secure  and 
careless,  and  could  not  be  awakened  out  of  their  sleep.  You 
will  easily  conceive,  that  this  must  needs  be  an  afflicting 
and  discouraging  consideration  to  me ;  that  when  from  other 
places  we  had  the  joyful  news  of  so  many  flying  to  Christ 
as  a  cloud,  and  as  doves  to  their  windows,  I  had  yet  cause 
to  complain  that  I  laboured  in  vain,  and  spent  my  strength 
for  nought.  But,  notwithstanding  all  these  discom-agiug 
appearances,  I  could  not  but  entertain  an  uncommon  con- 
cern, particularly  for  the  young  people  of  my  charge,  dur- 
ing that  winter  and  the  ensuing  spring,  which  not  only 
animated  my  addresses  to  the  throne  of  grace  on  their  be- 
half, but  my  endeavours  to  excite  in  them,  if  possible,  some 
afiiecting  sense  of  their  misery,  danger,  and  necessity  of  a 
Saviour.  To  that  end,  there  were  frequent  lectures  ap- 
pointed for  the  young  people  in  particular,  but  without 
any  visible  success,  until  some  time  in  June,  1740,  when 
we  had  a  remarkable  manifestation  of  the  Divine  presence 
with  us. 

"  Having  at  that  time  invited  the  young  people  to  hear  a 
sermon,  there  was  a  numerous  congregation  convened,  which 
consisted  chiefly  of  our  youth,  though  there  were  many 
others  with  them.  I  preached  to  them  a  plain,  practical 
sermon,  without  any  special  liveliness  or  vigour,  for  I  was 
then  in  a  remarkably  dead  and  dull  frame,  till  enlivened  by 
a  sudden  and  deep  impression,  which  visibly  appeared  upon 


268  APPENDIX. 

the  congregation  in  general.  There  was  no  crying  out  or 
falling  down,  as  elsewhere  has  happened,  but  the  inward 
distress  and  concern  of  the  audience  discovered  itself  by 
their  tears,  and  by  an  audible  sobbing  and  sighing  in  almost 
all  parts  of  the  assembly.  There  appeared  such  tokens  of  a 
solemn  and  deep  concern  as  I  never  before  saw  in  any  con- 
gregation whatsoever.  From  this  time  we  heard  no  more  of 
our  young  people's  meeting  together  for  frolics  and  extrava- 
gant diversions,  as  had  been  usual  among  them,  but  instead 
thereof,  private  meetings  for  religious  exercises  were  by 
them  set  up  in  several  parts  of  the  town.  All  our  oppor- 
tunities of  public  worship  were  carefully  and  constantly  at- 
tended by  our  people  in  general,  and  a  serious  and  solemn 
attention  to  the  ministry  of  the  word  was  observable  in 
their  very  countenances.  Numbers  were  almost  daily  re- 
pairing to  me  for  assistance  in  their  eternal  concerns.  There 
were  then  probably  more  came  to  me  in  one  day  on  that  er- 
rand, than  usually  in  half  a  year's  space  before.*  In  a  word, 
the  face  of  the  congregation  was  quite  altered,  and  religion 
became  the  common  subject  of  conversation  among  a  great 
part  of  the  people. 

"  Though  this  work  was  began  among  our  young  people, 
and  the  most  of  those  with  whom  we  have  reason  to  con- 
clude it  became  effectual,  were  of  the  younger  sort,  yet  there 
were  some  who  lived  a  careless  and  sensual  life  to  an  advanced 
age,  who  were  under  convictions,  and  I  hope  savingly 
brought  home  to  Christ  at  this  blessed  time  of  the  effusion 
of  his  Holy  Spirit.  Though  there  were  so  many  brought 
under  conviction  at  once,  we  had  very  little  appearance  of 
those  irregular  heats  among  u&,  which  are  so  loudly  com- 
plained of  in  some  other  parts  of  the  land.  I  do  not  re- 
member to  have  heard  of  above  two  or  three  instances  of 
any  thing  of  that  nature,  in  this  congregation,  and  those 
were  easily  and  speedily  regulated.  It  is  observable  that 
this  work  was  substantially  the  same  in  all  the  different  sub- 
jects of  it,  though  some  passed  through  much  gi-eater  de- 
grees of  distress  and  terror  than  others  3  and  this  distress 

*"  Agreeable  to  this,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dickinson,  in  another  letter,  wrote 
about  that  time  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Foxcroft,  viz:  September  4th,  1740,  has 
these  remarkable  passages  :  '  I  have  still  the  eomfortiiblc  news  to  inform 
you  of,  that  there  is  yet  a  great  revival  of  religion  in  these  parts.  I  have 
had  more  young  people  address  mo  for  dij-ection  in  their  spiritual  concerns 
within  these  three  months  than  in  thirty  years  before.'" 


APPENDIX.  269 

Ijisted  much  longer  with  some  than  with  others,  and  yet  all 
were  brought  under  a  deep  sense  of  their  sin,  guilt,  and 
danger,  and  none  that  I  know  of  obtained  satisfying  dis- 
coveries of  safety  in  Christ,  till  they  were  first  brought  to 
despair  of  help  from  themselves  or  any  of  their  own  refuges, 
and  to  see  and  feel  that  they  lay  at  mercy. 

"  We  had  no  instances  among  us  of  such  sudden  conver- 
sions as  I  have  heard  of  elsewhere ;  but  our  new  converts 
were  all  for  a  considerable  time  under  a  law  work,  before 
they  were  brought  to  any  satisfying  views  of  their  interest 
in  Christ  and  the  favour  of  God.  Nor  had  we  many  instan- 
ces of  those  cstatic,  rapturous  joys  that  were  so  frequent  in 
some  other  places.  It  was  remarkable  that  they  who  were 
formerly  eminent  for  religion,  were  now  quickened  and  re- 
vived, and  some  of  them  had  now  such  joyful  manifestations 
of  God's  love  to  their  souls  as  they  had  never  befoi'e  expe- 
rienced. It  was  also  remarkable  that  as  this  work  began 
among  us  in  a  time  of  greatest  health  and  prosperity,  so  the 
concern  began  sensibly  to  wear  off  in  one  of  the  greatest 
mortalities  that  had  ever  been  known  in  the  town,  which 
makes  it  appear  more  evidently  to  be  the  work  of  God 
himself.  Though  there  were  some  of  those  who  were  then 
under  special  convictions  that  have  worn  off  their  impres- 
sions and  arc  become  secure  and  careless,  yet  I  do  not  know 
of  any  two  persons,  who  gave  reasonable  hopes  of  a  real 
change  at  that  time,  but  who  have  hitherto  by  their  conver- 
sation confirmed  our  hopes  of  their  saving  conversion  to  God. 

"  I  would  be  very  cautious  of  any  confident  determinations 
with  respect  to  the  conversion  of  particular  persons ;  but  if 
we  may  judge  the  tree  by  its  fruits,  which  we  have  now  had 
so  long  a  time  to  observe,  we  have  reason  to  suppose,  that 
near  about  sixty  persons  have  received  a  saving  change  in 
this  congregation  only,  and  a  number  in  the  parish  next  ad- 
joining to  us,  though  I  dare  not  pretend  to  guess  how  many 
since  the  beginning  of  this  work.  The  general  concern 
which,  as  I  have  observed,  appeared  upon  the,  face  of  the  con- 
gi'cgation  has  gradually  worn  off,  and  a  great  part  of  those 
who  came  short  of  the  effectual  and  saving  influences  of  the 
blessed  Spirit,  are  returned  to  their  former  security  and  in- 
sensibility, and  again  appear  like  a  valley  of  dry  bones. 
Though   there  be  yet  a  considerable  number  that  do  not 

23* 


270  APPENDIX. 

give  satisfying  evidences  of  a  regenerate  state,  who  have  not 
worn  off  their  serious  impressions, 

''  I  entreat  your  prayers  for  us,  that  he  with  whom  is  the 
residue  of  the  Spirit,  would  again  revive  his  work  among  us, 
and  have  compassion  upon  the  many  poor  souls  who  are  yet 
in  the  paths  of  destruction  and  death.  And  he  pleased  par- 
ticularly to  remember  at  the  throne  of  grace. 
Yours,  &c., 

JONATHAN  DICKINSON." 


APPENDIX    lY. 


MR.     BEATTYS     JOURNAL. 

The  following  account  of  a  missionary  tour  of  two 
months,  in  company  with  the  Rev.  George  Duffield,  is 
taken  from  Mr.  Beatty's  Journal,  published  in  London, 
in  1768.  It  was,  probably,  never  published  in  this 
country.     It  consists  of  eighty-two  pages. 

"Being  appointed  by  the  Synod  of  New  York  and 
Philadelphia  to  visit  the  frontier  inhabitants,  and  likewise 
to  visit  the  Indians,  in  case  it  could  be  done  with  safety,  to 
know  whether  they  were  inclined  to  receive  the  gospel,  I 
set  out  on  my  journey,  August  12th,  1766,  accompanied  by 
Joseph  Peepy,  a  Christian  Indian,  as  an  interpreter.  After 
arriving  at  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  I  met  with  Mr.  Duffield, 
who  was  appointed  to  accompany  me. 

On  Monday,  the  18th,  after  riding  about  six  miles,  we 
came  to  the  North  Mountain,  which  is  high  and  steep. 
The  day  being  warm,  we  were  obliged  to  walk,  or  rather 
climb  it  the  greatest  part  of  the  way,  so  that  when  we 
reached  the  top  we  were  much  fatigued.  After  passing  four 
miles  into  Sherman's  Valley,  we  lodged  at  night  at  Thomas 
Ross's. 

"  Tuesday  \^th. — Rode  five  miles,  and  preached  to  a 
small  auditory,  notice  not  having  been  generally  spread. 
Lodged  at  Mr.  Fergus's. 

"  Wednesday  '20th. — Crossed  the  Tuscarora  mountain, 
which  is  very  high  and  difficult  to  pass.  Preached  after 
crossing  the  mountain  to  a  few  people  who  were  convened, 
and  lodged  at  the  house  of  William  Graham. 

"  Thursday  21st. — Mr.  Duffield  preached  at  a  place 
where  a  house  of  worship  had  been  commenced,  but  was 

(271) 


272  APPENDIX. 

discontinued  on  account  of  the  war.  In  this  valley  of 
Tuscarora,  thirty  miles  long  and  six  or  seven  in  breadth,  we 
found  that  the  inhabitants  had  suffered  much  from  the  inva- 
sion of  the  Indians.  The  number  of  families  in  the  valley 
about  thirty-four.  Here  we  met  with  one  Levi  Hicks,  who 
had  been  a  captive  with  the  Indians  from  his  youth.  He 
gave  us  some  interesting  information  respecting  the  situation 
of  their  towns,  one  hundred  miles  west  of  Fort  Pitt. 

"  Friday  22(i. — Preached  in  the  woods,  as  we  have 
hitherto  done,  north  side  of  the  Juniata.  Here  also  the 
people  had  begun  to  build  a  house  of  worship,  but  left  it 
unfinished;  probably  for  the  same  reason  as  the  former. 
Lodged  at  Captain  Patterson's,  where  we  remained  on  the 
23d.  Here  we  agreed  to  separate  for  a  season  ;  Mr.  Duffield 
to  go  into  Path  Valley,  and  I  along  the  Juniata. 

"  Monday  25^/i. — Set  out  early  from  Captain  Patterson's, 
accompanied  by  our  interpreter  and  Levi  Hicks. 

"  Tuesday  2Qth. — Preached  to  a  number  of  people  in  the 
woods ;  but  the  rain  forced  us  to  retreat  into  a  small  house. 

"  Wednesday  27th  — Baptized  a  child  this  morning 
brought  to  my  lodgings ;  and  preached  to  a  small  audience 
eight  miles  further  on,  and  baptized  several  children,  and 
lodged  at  John  McMichael's. 

''  Mr.  Duffield  rejoined  me  on  Friday  the  29th.  In 
Path  Valley,  twenty-three  miles  in  length  and  about  three 
in  breadth,  he  preached  to  a  large  congregation  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  also  preached  on  several  following  days. 

"  Sahhatli  "ilst. — Preached  at  Bedford;  I  in  the  morning, 
Mr.  Duffield  in  the  afternoon,  to  a  large  audience.  Preached 
also  on  Monday. 

"  Tuesday,  Sej^f.  2d. — Crossed  the  Allegheny  mountain ; 
met  with  Benjamin  Sutton,  who  had  also  been  a  captive 
many  years  among  the  Indians.  He  had  lived  among  the 
Choctaws  on  the  Mississippi.  Told  a  long  story  about  a 
wild  tribe  of  Indians. 

"  Arrived  at  Fort  Pitt  on  the  5th,  and  were  kindly  and 
courteously  treated  by  the  officers  of  the  garrison,  who 
furnished  us  with  blankets  and  other  necessaries.  By  invi- 
tation I  preached  to  the  garrison,  while  Mr.  Duffield 
preached  to  the  people  of  the  town. 

"  Mr.  Gibson,  a  trader  who  sppaks  the  Indian  language, 
introduced  us  to  an  Indian  called  the  White  3IingoC;  the 


APPENDIX.  273 

head  man  of  his  town.  He  is  one  of  the  Six  Nations,  and 
lives  upon  the  Allegheny  river,  four  miles  from  Fort  Pitt. 
We  explained  the  design  of  our  mission,  and  he  agreed  to 
meet  us  with  his  people  next  day.  But  he  never  went 
home  to  notify  them  of  the  meeting. 

"  Tuesdai/  *dth. — Having  obtained  all  the  information 
respecting  the  Indians  which  we  could,  and  having  sought 
divine  direction,  we  set  off  for  Kigaliuphega,  an  Indian 
town,  at  the  distance  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles.  This 
place  was  fixed  on  because  it  was  central  to  the  other  Indian 
towns,  and  because  the  king  or  head  man  of  the  Delawares 
lived  there,  whom  it  was  necessary  to  consult  before  we 
attempted  any  thing  among  his  people ;  and  also  because  we 
were  informed  that,  the  Indians  there  were  thinking  some- 
thing about  religion.  Mr.  Gibson  furnished  us  with  a  letter 
and  string  of  wampum  to  introduce  us.  In  the  afternoon 
Mr.  Dufiicld  preached  to  an  attentive  audience.  We  trust 
that  our  pi'cachiug  here  has  not  been  in  vain. 

"  Wednesday  XOth. — While  we  were  much  occupied  in 
preparing  for  our  journey,  a  person  came  to  us  under  deep 
impressions,  inquiring  what  he  should  do  to  be  saved.  I 
gave  him  a  book,  but  he  insisted  on  my  writing  something 
for  him,  with  which  I  complied. 

"Joseph,  our  interpreter,  embraced  every  opportunity 
of  conversing  with  the  Indians  here.  He  met  with  one 
who  appeared  to  be  a  sober  man,  and  expressed  much  satis- 
faction at  our  going  out  to  teach  the  Indians.  We  heard 
that  this  man,  and  about  nineteen  others,  had  separated 
themselves  from  the  other  Indians,  and  worshipped  God  in 
some  way  by  themselves. 

"  The  commanding  officer,  who  was  disposed  to  do  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  favour  our  design,  gave  us  a  letter 
and  a  string  of  wampum  to  the  Indian  chiefs.  We  crossed 
the  Allegheny  river  in  a  canoe,  and  swam  our  horses  by 
the  side  of  it,  and  rode  down  the  bank  of  the  Ohio.  In  the 
night  there  fell  a  heavy  rain,  which  wet  us  much. 

^^  Friday  V2th. — The  morning  dark  and  heavy,  with 
small  rain.  Our  clothes  being  wet  last  night,  made  our 
condition  very  uncomfortable.  After  travelling  twelve 
miles  we  came  to  the  second  Beaver  river,  which  we  crossed, 
and  proceeded  six  miles  further  to  the  thu-d  Beaver  river, 
where  we  encamped,  having  but  poor  food  for  our  horsea. 


274  APPENDIX. 

Joseph,  our  interpreter,  who  went  on  before  to  hunt  for  us, 
returned  without  anything,  so  that  we  had  poor  living  for 
ourselves  as  well  as  our  horses.  However,  we  had  some 
bread,  for  which  we  had  reason  to  be  thankful. 

"  Saturday  13<7i. — A  heavy  rain  from  the  northwest 
came  upon  us  before  we  had  travelled  far,  from  which  we 
sheltered  ourselves  around  under  the  trees. 

''  Sabbath  14:th. — We  rested  on  the  Sabbath,  and  sup- 
posing this  to  be  the  first  Sabbath  ever  kept  in  this  wilder- 
ness, we  gave  the  place  of  our  encampment  the  name  of 
Sabbath-Ridge. 

"  A  number  of  Indians  who  had  been  trading  at  Fort 
Pitt  came  up  with  us,  and  wondered  why  we  did  not  travel 
that  Sunday.  They  had  about  one  hundred  gallons  of  rum 
with  them.  We  explained  the  matter  to  them  as  well  as 
we  could. 

''  The  weather  clearing  up  about  three  o'clock,  P.  M., 
we  decamped,  and  set  out  with  the  Indians.  Our  inter- 
preter, who  had  gone  out  to  procure  something  for  our 
subsistence,  returned  late  in  the  morning  with  a  young  deer 
on  his  back,  which  we  immediately  divided;  giving  three 
quarters  to  the  three  companies  of  Indians  who  travelled 
■with  us,  and  reserved  one  quarter  for  ourselves.  This  was 
a  seasonable  supply  for  them,  as  well  as  for  us. 

'*  Tuesday  IGth. — Entered  more  freely  into  conversation 
with  the  Indians,  our  fellow  travellers,  and  found  them 
more  sociable  and  communicative  than  before.  Their  chief 
man,  especially,  became  more  friendly  when  he  found  that  we 
were  not  Moravians,  against  whom  he  had  taken  up  a  preju- 
dice. On  this  day  after  crossing  several  streams  and  extensive 
savannahs,  we  arrived  at  Tuskalawa  before  night.  Our 
fellow  traveller,  the  chief,  now  became  very  friendly,  invited 
us  to  his  house,  where  we  were  treated  with  great  respect 
and  kindness.  He  brought  us  some  green  corn,  which  we 
roasted,  and  some  cucumbers,  which  we  ate  without  salt,  or 
any  other  condiment.  Having  preserved  a  small  portion  of 
the  venison  from  the  last  night,  we  made  some  soup  and  gave 
part  to  our  host  and  his  family.  Having  prayed  with  the 
family,  our  interpreter  explaining  the  nature  of  the  service, 
we  proceeded  on  our  journey,  and  our  kind  host  sent  a 
young  man  seven  or  eight  miles  to  show  us  the  way.  As 
we  passed  through  the  town  we  saw  a  number  of  Indians  in 


APPENDIX.  275 

a  state  of  intoxication  from  the  rura  which  they  had  brono-ht 
from  Fort  Pitt,  and  when  in  this  condition  they  appeared 
very  terrible,  and  behaved  as  mad  men. 

"  Thiirsdai/  ISfh. — After  travelling  twenty  miles  through 
swamps  and  marshy  grounds,  we  reached  the  town,  at  which 
we  arrived  about  3  o'clock,  P.  M.  At  the  first  house  which 
we  entered  lived  a  widow  woman,  who  was  a  near  relative 
of  our  interpreter.  They  had  not  seen  each  other  for  many 
years,  nor  did  he  know  that  she  lived  here.  Their  meeting 
was  attended  with  an  agreeable  surprise  to  both  of  them, 
which  wo  could  not  but  consider  a  token  for  good.  The 
woman  invited  us  to  tarry  with  her,  which  kind  offer  we 
gladly  accepted.  She  soon  prepared  for  us  a  meal  by  cook- 
ing some  venison,  and  baking  some  cakes  under  the  ashes, 
according  to  their  oustom. 

"  We  i)ow  sent  notice  of  our  arrival  to  the  king  or  head 
man  of  the  Delaware  nation.  In  the  mean  time,  our  land- 
lady furnished  us  with  a  little  hut  for  ourselves,  and  spread 
some  skins  for  our  bed,  which  was  far  better  than  what  we 
had  been  lately  used  to  have. 

"Friday  \%th. — The  king  sent  us  word  that  he  was  ready 
to  receive  us.  We  went,  accordingly,  to  the  Council  House. 
This  house  is  a  long  building,  with  two  fires  in  it,  at  a 
proper  distance,  without  any  chimney  or  partition.  The 
entrance  is  by  two  doors,  one  at  each  end.  Over  the  door 
was  drawn  the  figure  of  a  turtle,  which  is  the  ensign  of  the 
tribe.  On  each  door  was  cut  or  engraved  the  face  of  an  old 
man,  an  emblem  of  the  wisdom  and  gravity  becoming  those 
who  are  senators.  On  each  side  was  a  platform  or  bed, 
fifteen  feet  wide,  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  house. 
This  served  for  sitting  as  well  as  sleeping,  and  was  raised  a 
foot  or  so  above  the  floor,  and  was  covered  with  a  handsome 
mat  made  of  rushes ;  on  the  end  of  this  bed  the  king  had 
his  seat. 

"  As  soon  as  we  entered,  the  king  rose  from  his  seat  (no- 
thing unusual,)  and  took  us  by  the  hand,  and  gave  thanks 
to  the  great  Being  above,  the  Creator  and  Preserver  of  all, 
that  we  had  opportunity  of  seeing  each  other  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  appeared  truly  glad  on  the  occasion.  We  were 
then  conducted  to  a  seat  near  his  majesty;  the  council  being 
seated  on  each  side  of  the  room.  After  sitting  silent  awhile, 
according  to  their  custom,  I  arose,  and   by  Joseph,  our  in- 


276  APPENDIX. 

terpreter,  delivered  my  speech.  It  is  an  invariable  rule 
with  the  Indians,  when  they  receive  an  address  or  speech, 
not  to  return  an  immediate  answer,  but  to  take  time  to  de- 
liberate. 

"  In  the  speech  which  I  delivered,  we  gave  them  an  ac- 
count of  the  design  of  the  Synod  in  commissioning  us  to 
visit  them,  with  the  view  of  ascertaining  whether  they  were 
disposed  to  receive  the  Christian  religion,  and  to  have  some 
ministers  sent  among  them. 

"  In  the  evening  an  Indian  and  his  sister,  both  advanced 
in  years,  came  to  our  house.  They  had  been  in  New  Jer- 
sey, in  the  time  of  the  revival  of  religion  among  the  Indians 
there,  and  had  received  some  good  impressions  from  the 
preaching  of  the  Rev.  David  Brainerd.  They  afterwards 
joined  the  Moravians,  but  seemed  to  haye,  in  a  great  mea- 
sure, lost  their  serious  impressions,  but  requested  us  to  talk 
to  them  on  the  subject  of  religion,  which  we  did  through 
our  interpreter.  We  also  prayed  with  them,  and  on  taking 
leave  they  seemed  much  affected. 

^' Saturday,  20fh. — Five  of  the  principal  men  came  to 
our  hut,  and  after  sitting  an  hour  in  silence,  they  returned 
our  string  of  wampum,  saying  they  could  not  understand  it. 
We  told  them  we  were  sorry  they  had  not  understood,  and 
would  again  explain  it,  which  we  accordingly  did,  and  offered 
to  return  again  the  wampum.  But  they  refused  to  receive 
it,  saying  their  great  man,  that  is  their  king,  could  not  un- 
derstand it,  when  they  pulled  out  a  string  of  wampum,  of 
two  single  threads  and  one  double,  and  proceeded  to  speak 
on  the  single  threads,  one  of  which  was  white,  the  other 
black  and  white.     They  spoke  as  follows  : 

"  '  Our  dear  brethren,  what  you  have  said  we  are  very 
well  pleased  with,  as  far  as  we  understand  it.  But  dear 
brothers,  when  Wm.  Johnson  spoke  with  us  some  time  ago, 
and  made  a  peace  which  is  to  be  strong  and  for  ever,  he 
told  us  not  to  regard  what  others  might  say  to  us ;  that 
the  many  people  round  about  might  be  speaking  of  a  great 
many  things ;  yet  we  must  look  upon  all  these  things  as 
when  a  dog  sleeps  and  dreams  of  something,  or  something 
disturbs  him,  and  he  rises  hastily,  and  gives  a  bark  or  two, 
but  does  not  know  any  thing,  or  any  reason  why  he  barks. 
Just  so  the  people  around  may  be  saying  some  one  thing, 
and  some  another,  but  they  are  not  to  be  regarded.' 


APPENDIX.  277 

"Again,  on  the  double  string  they  said  '  George  Crog- 
han  spake  to  us,  that  none  should  be  regarded  but  what 
William  Johnson  and  he  should  say  to  us.'  They  then 
brought  out  and  showed  a  belt  of  wampum  of  friendship, 
which  Sir  "William  Johnson  had  given  them.  The  belt, 
they  told  us,  he  held  by  one  end  and  they  by  the  other,  and 
when  they  had  any  thing  to  say,  they  must  go  along  the 
path  marked  on  the  belt.  To  this  they  added  that  they 
believed  there  was  a  great  God  above,  and  desired  to  serve 
him  in  the  best  manner  they  could ;  that  they  thought  of 
him  on  lying  down  and  rising  up,  and  hoped  he  would  look 
upon  them  and  do  them  good. 

"  In  the  afternoon  they  sent  us  a  belt  of  wampum  and  a 
speech,  the  purport  of  which  was  to  invite  the  Indians  of 
New  Jersey,  now  under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  John  Brainerd,  to 
come  and  settle  at  Quiahoga,  a  town  seventy  miles  west  of  this 
place,  where,  they  said,  they  might  have  good  hunting,  and 
might  bring  a  minister  with  them  ;  and  where  all  who  wished 
to  attend  on  the  religious  instruction  might  come  together. 

"  As  the  next  day  was  the  Sabbath,  we  requested  to  know 
whether  they  would  give  us  a  hearing,  to  which  they  gave 
their  assent,  and  exhorted  us  not  to  be  discouraged  at  the 
delay  of  receiving  a  full  answer  to  our  proposals,  as  they 
always  took  time  to  deliberate.  Accordingly,  one  of  their 
chief  men  went  around  and  gave  notice  at  every  house,  that 
we  would  preach  to  them  at  the  council-house;  and  another 
of  their  counsellors  came  to  our  hut  to  conduct  us  to  the 
place  of  meeting.  A  considerable  number,  both  of  men  and 
women,  attended ;  and  I  preached  to  them  from  the  parable 
of  the  prodigal  son,  (Luke  xv.)  Good  attention  was  paid, 
and  the  women  appeared  really  to  lay  to  heart  what  they 
heard.  After  sermon  we  sat  awhile  with  them,  and  asked 
if  it  would  be  agreeable  that  we  should  speak  to  them  again 
in  the  afternoon  j  they  said  it  would. 

"About  three  o'clock  the  people  collected  again,  and 
Mr.  Duffield  preached  to  them  from  1  Cor.  xv.  22,  in 
which  he  gave  a  plain  narrative  of  all  being  dead  in  Adam, 
and  that  all  believers  would  be  made  alive  in  Christ.  The 
people  appeared  to  be  much  engaged,  and  well  pleased  with 
what  they  heard.  Our  interpreter  remained  with  them 
some  time  after  the  sermon,  and  brought  us  word  that 
the  king  and  chief  man  were  desirous  that  we  should  speak 
again  to  them  on  the  morrow,  with  which  we  were  rejoiced. 
24 


278  APPENDIX. 

"  In  the  evening  of  this  day,  which  was  observed  by  the 
Indians  like  a  Sabbath,  several  came  to  our  hut  and  heard 
us  explain  many  things  contained  in  the  Bible.  Among 
them  was  a  young  man  named  Neolin,  who,  for  some  time 
past,  had  been  in  the  habit  of  speaking  to  the  Indians,  and 
reproving  them  for  their  wicked  ways,  and  was  the  means 
of  reforming  a  number  of  them.  The  answer  of  this 
young  man,  when  we  inquired  what  put  him  in  this 
practice,  partakes  of  the  marvellous.  He  said  that  six 
years  ago  a  man  came  and  stood  in  his  door,  and  told  him 
that  all  who  followed  bad  ways  would,  after  death,  go  to  a 
miserable  place,  but  those  who  hated  evil  and  did  what 
was  right  and  pleasing  to  Grod  would  be  taken  to  a  happy 
place.  We  were  informed  by  a  trader,  who  knows  this 
man,  that  one  of  the  means  of  reformation  adopted  by  him, 
was  boiling  bitter  roots  and  causing  people  to  drink  the 
decoction,  which  acted  as  an  emetic,  in  order  to  cleanse 
them  from  their  sins. 

"■  Mr.  Gibson  had  informed  us  that  they  had,  in  one 
of  their  towns,  a  woman  who  had  been  taken  prisoner ; 
and  he  had  written  a  letter  to  the  king  requesting  him 
to  cause  her  to  be  restored  to  her  friends,  which  he  readily 
promised  that  he  would  do. 

''In  the  afternoon  the  king  and  four  chief  men  of  the 
council  came  and  delivered  a  formal  speech,  in  which  they 
acknowledged  the  evil  of  drunkenness,  to  which  they  were 
addicted,  but  said  the  blame  did  not  entirely  belong  to 
them,  but  to  the  white  men,  who  brought  rum  and  sold  it 
to  them.  They  also  complained  of  the  conduct  of  the 
whites  in  other  respects. 

"  In  the  evening,  an  old  Indian,  who  had  been  with  ug 
before,  came  to  our  house,  and  informed  us  that  there  were 
many  here  and  in  other  places  who  were  desirous  of  hearing 
the  gospel,  and  said  they  intended  to  go  to  Quiahaga,  and 
send  for  a  minister  to  come  and  live  among  them  to 
instruct  them.  This  day  was  so  much  taken  up  in  im- 
portant conferences  with  the  chief  men  that  no  opportunity 
of  preaching  was  aiforded. 

"  Tuesday  22d. — This  day  the  head-men  met  in  council, 
where  we  attended,  and  I  preached  to  them  from  Luke 
xiv.  16.  In  my  discourse,  I  showed  that  there  were  rich 
provisions  made  in  the  gospel  for  poor  sinners — the  nature 


APPENDIX.  279 

of  these  provisions,  and  why  they  were  compared  to  a  mar- 
riage feast — how  men  made  excuses  for  not  complying  with 
the  invitations  by  the  ministers — and  how  some,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  were  made  willing — and  then  concluded  with 
an  exhortation  to  them  to  accept  the  gracious  invitation. 
"  A  solemn  awe  appeared  on  the  face  of  the  assembly.  All 
seemed  attentive  to  the  things  which  were  spoken,  and  some 
seemed  affected.  The  interpreter  was  so  much  affected  at 
times  that  he  could  scarcely  speak;  and,  indeed,  I  must 
own  that  my  own  heart  was  warmed  with  the  truths  I  deli- 
vered, and  with  the  effect  they  seemed  to  have  on  these 
poor  benighted  heathen.  Blessed  be  God  !  Let  all  the 
praise  be  to  him  !  We  have  reason  to  hope  not  one  oppor- 
tunity enjoyed  here  has  been  in  vain,  and  we  trust  that  the 
good  impressions  which  have  been  nuule  will  be  permanent. 
May  the  Lord  grant  that  our  hopes  may  not  be  disap- 
pointed !" 

Before  the  brethren  departed,  they  delivered  a  solemn 
and  interesting  speech  to  the  chiefs,  which  is  recorded  in 
Mr.  Beatty's  journal.  This  they  accompanied  agreeably  to 
the  Indian  custom  with  a  string  of  wampum,  which  the 
Indians  received  with  apparent  cordiality.  To  one  who  had 
learned  to  read  a  little,  while  among  the  English,  they  gave 
a  Bible  ;  to  a  woman,  a  small  book,  entitled,  "  A  Compas- 
sionate Address  to  the  Christian  world." 

From  every  appearance  a  door  seemed  to  be  opened  to 
introduce  the  gospel  among  these  poor  heathen.  But  the 
missionaries  had  now  to  return  home,  and  we  do  not  find 
that  others  followed  them  to  improve  the  opportunity  of 
usefulness  now  afforded. 


THE    END. 


P„„celo.  Theolc.cal  Sem,na,,-Spee|  L.brar, 


1    1012  01126  6196 


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